Bola Tinubu has called on voters, security operatives, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to act peacefully and responsibly during Saturday’s elections in the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers, and Kano.
The elections, slated for February 21, 2026, follow shortly after the president assented to the Electoral Act 2026.
In a Friday statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu encouraged all qualified voters to participate confidently, stressing that democracy flourishes in a climate of calm, tolerance, and mutual respect.
He also urged political parties, aspirants, and their supporters to refrain from violence, provocative rhetoric, or any conduct capable of compromising the integrity of the process.
The President warned against excessive force, voter intimidation, or actions that might disenfranchise citizens or weaken public confidence, noting that security agencies are deployed to safeguard lives, property, and the integrity of the ballot.
Tinubu stated, “Fellow Nigerians, I assure you that the Federal Government under my administration will continue to support institutions responsible for delivering free, fair, and credible elections.
“To all residents of the FCT, Kano, and Rivers, I commend your civic consciousness. I am confident that these elections will reflect the will of the people and further strengthen our democratic journey as a nation.”
He further directed INEC to implement measures that will enhance voter confidence, including prompt accreditation, seamless voting, accurate collation, and swift transmission of results, in accordance with the 2026 Electoral Act.
INEC is set to conduct polls across the six area councils of the FCT, with 1,680,315 registered voters spread over 2,822 polling units, in addition to bye-elections in Rivers and Kano states.
In Rivers, supplementary elections will take place in the Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies to replace lawmakers who vacated their seats due to resignation and death.
Meanwhile, in Kano State, voting will occur in Kano Municipal, which has 330,228 registered voters across 630 polling units, and in Ungogo constituency, comprising 205,418 voters in 384 polling units, following the deaths of two State House of Assembly members.
The Electoral Act 2026 introduces key reforms, such as formally embedding the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in law and permitting electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing portal, while maintaining manual collation as a backup in locations with limited network connectivity.
