The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged to ensure that the votes of Nigerians are paramount in the upcoming Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Osun State governorship poll.
Commitment to Rule of Law and Transparency
This assurance was given by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, and the FCT, Mr. Aminu Idris. They spoke during the commission's 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat, which was organized for newly appointed officials including the National Chairman, Commissioners, and RECs.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Agboke promised residents of Osun State that the commission would strictly adhere to the rule of law to deliver a transparent and credible election in August. He emphasized that the core determination of INEC is to make every vote count, a directive clearly reinforced by the commission's leadership.
"In our state, there is not going to be any exception. We are going to do our best. We are going to ensure that people follow the process and their votes count," Agboke stated firmly.
Learning from Past Elections and Engaging Stakeholders
According to Agboke, INEC is poised to rebuild public trust by applying lessons learned from the recent Anambra governorship election. Osun State will also draw insights from the forthcoming FCT polls on February 21 and the Ekiti governorship election.
He highlighted the critical importance of continuous stakeholder engagement, a strategy he said has already fostered peace in Osun. The state holds quarterly stakeholder meetings, which he credited for the lack of issues following recent party primaries.
However, Agboke identified two major challenges bedeviling Nigerian elections: vote-buying and violence. He called for a collective effort to tackle these issues, noting that INEC alone cannot solve them.
"INEC has no money to distribute on election day. INEC does not have weapons to give to anybody on election day. We should talk to ourselves," he urged. He also challenged political parties and their publicity secretaries to aggressively address voter apathy and lukewarm public attitude towards elections.
Agboke concluded by stressing the need for assurance and public confidence, urging Nigerians to discard the narrative that "nothing good can come from INEC."
FCT Fully Prepared for February 21 Poll
Speaking on the FCT election, REC Aminu Idris confirmed that the commission is fully ready to conduct a free, fair, and credible Area Council election. He reported that almost all scheduled activities have been implemented, with the process now "almost awaiting election day."
The key activities remaining include the release of the voter register to political parties and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Idris announced that PVC collection for both new registrants from the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and old uncollected cards will commence on January 15.
Idris expressed optimism for a high voter turnout, peaceful conduct, and an improvement over the previous FCT election. He noted that the strategic retreat served as a vital reminder of INEC's core objectives for peaceful and credible polls.
The retreat was attended by senior INEC officials from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
