FCT polls: Amupitan warns RECs, explains result gaps

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has issued a stern warning to Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to improve oversight and strictly follow electoral guidelines, as the Commission reviewed the conduct of recent elections in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Kano and Rivers states.

Amupitan spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level meeting with RECs, where INEC also swore in Dr. Chukwu Chukwu-Emeka Joseph as the new Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State.

Advertisements

He commended INEC staff in the affected states for the peaceful conduct of the FCT Area Council election and the bye-elections in Kano Municipal, Ungogo, Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies, noting that results were announced promptly, except in Kuje Area Council where difficult terrain in Kabi Ward delayed final collation until Sunday afternoon.

According to him, by 2pm on Sunday, over 93 per cent of polling unit results had been uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while an average of 97 per cent of FCT results had been successfully transmitted as of the day of the meeting.

Advertisements

Amupitan said the figures showed the Commission’s commitment to transparency and timely result management.

While acknowledging that voter apathy remains a concern, the INEC chairman said turnout in the FCT recorded a modest improvement, rising from 9.4 per cent in 2022 to about 15 per cent in 2026, with over 239,000 voters participating, compared to 148,685 in the previous poll.

He stressed the need for sustained voter education and sensitisation to boost public confidence and participation in future elections.

Addressing complaints over alleged “voter migration,” Amupitan said no voter was moved in 2026, explaining that the redistribution of voters took place in 2022 under INEC’s Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units initiative.

He said over 56,000 new polling units were created nationwide during the exercise, increasing the number from 119,972 to over 176,000, while in the FCT alone, 411 polling units were decongested, with about 580,000 voters reassigned within the same areas.

The INEC boss explained that spill-over voting points created within the same premises were meant to reduce congestion and improve efficiency, adding that the adjustments did not change voters’ registration status or move them to different communities.

He said affected voters were notified through text messages and emails, while the Register of Voters was displayed ahead of the election to help voters locate their polling units.

Amupitan, however, expressed concern over delays in the opening of polling units, revealing that only 45 per cent of FCT polling units were operational by 8:30am, although all were open by 10:00am.

He described the delay as unacceptable, adding that officials responsible in Kuje Area Council and Kabusa Ward had been queried, while a transporter that caused delays in Kwali Area Council would be blacklisted.

He said INEC was reviewing its transport logistics model to ensure more timely deployment in future elections.

While commending security agencies for maintaining peace, the INEC chairman acknowledged incidents at the Kuje Central Collation Centre and another collation centre in Kwali Area Council, saying the situations were promptly brought under control to allow successful collation of results.

He urged RECs to strengthen coordination with security agencies and local stakeholders to ensure that peaceful elections are the product of proper planning.

Amupitan also highlighted improvements in result management, noting that presiding officers are now required to upload images of Form EC8A to IReV and enter party scores directly into the BVAS device, with built-in checks to prevent over-voting and detect discrepancies.

He said the system was tested during the recent elections and confirmed to have produced accurate results.

On preparations for 2027, the INEC chairman said the Commission would issue a revised timetable and schedule of activities following the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, noting that the earlier Notice of Election issued on February 13 would be adjusted to align with the new law.

He also addressed a viral allegation from Kuroko Health Centre Polling Unit in Yangoji Ward, Kwali Area Council, explaining that it was a clerical error by a presiding officer which was detected and corrected before ward collation.

Amupitan further announced that INEC would soon begin a comprehensive Voters Revalidation Exercise ahead of 2027, and reminded RECs that the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration, which began on January 5, 2026, would run until April 17, with the full exercise ending on August 30, 2026.

Earlier, Dr. Chukwu Chukwu-Emeka Joseph, a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was sworn in as Enugu REC. Amupitan urged him to uphold integrity and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) has proposed structured collaboration with INEC on technology, capacity building and voter education.

Leading a delegation to INEC, FOSIECON chairman, Mamman Nda Eri, said the Forum was seeking partnership in areas including training, technology sharing, policy dialogue, voter education and research.

Amupitan welcomed the proposal, saying although INEC and SIECs have different constitutional roles, cooperation and peer learning remain vital to improving the credibility of elections at all levels.

Advertisements