The recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections held on February 21, 2026, saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) secure victories in five out of six area councils (Abuja Municipal, Abaji, Bwari, Kwali, and Kuje), with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning Gwagwalada. While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) described the process as largely peaceful and orderly, significant allegations of electoral irregularities have emerged, particularly around the impartiality of presiding officers.
card-carrying members of the APC were deployed as presiding officers in some polling units during the FCT polls.
This and many other illegalities have made many Nigerians questioned how free and fair elections could be expected under such circumstances. Similar sentiments echoed across platforms, with users arguing that partisan presiding officers undermine electoral integrity, as these officials handle critical tasks like voter accreditation, ballot issuance, result collation, and signing Form EC8A sheets.
Under Nigeria’s Electoral Act, INEC presiding officers (and ad-hoc staff) are expected to be neutral, non-partisan individuals recruited and trained to ensure impartiality. Political party membership, especially active or card-carrying status in a contesting party like the APC, creates an inherent conflict of interest.
If substantiated, this would violate principles of neutrality and could constitute a serious breach, potentially enabling manipulation at the polling unit level—such as biased accreditation, over-voting facilitation, result alteration, or intimidation of opposition agents.
This issue is not isolated to claims alone; related concerns in the FCT polls included:
– Allegations of result sheet tampering or rewriting in some units (e.g., claims of figures changed from low to high numbers favoring one party).
– Reports of voter suppression, intimidation, and vote-buying (with the EFCC arresting 20 suspects and recovering over N17 million in alleged proceeds).
– Widespread voter apathy and low turnout, logistical glitches (BVAS issues, missing materials), and backlash against aspects of the Electoral Act Amendment 2026 (e.g., provisions on manual collation fallback and e-transmission discretion given to presiding officers).
Opposition parties and observers have rejected aspects of the results, with groups like the AAC alleging massive rigging and voter suppression. The PDP has reportedly dragged the APC to court over the outcomes in some councils.
To “checkmate” such potential illegalities and restore credibility in future elections (especially ahead of 2027):
1. Strict enforcement of non-partisanship: INEC must rigorously screen ad-hoc staff (including presiding officers) to exclude active party members, with verifiable declarations and background checks.
2. Enhanced transparency and monitoring: Mandate real-time result transmission where possible, with mandatory presence and signing by party agents at every stage, and public access to polling unit-level data.
3. Swift investigation and prosecution: INEC, security agencies, and anti-corruption bodies should probe specific allegations (e.g., partisan presiding officers) with evidence like videos or affidavits from witnesses.
4. Stronger penalties: Enforce existing laws on electoral offenses, including imprisonment for presiding officers who compromise neutrality or obstruct processes.
Without addressing these foundational breaches—starting with partisan officials at the polling unit—public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process will continue to erode, making genuine free and fair elections increasingly difficult to achieve. The FCT polls serve as a warning sign that must not be ignored.
Pamela O. political columnist.
