The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on media organisations to intensify voter education, promote professionalism and uphold ethical standards in election reporting as the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory FCT Area Council Elections draw near.
The commission made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a forum for media executives, producers, reporters and on-air personalities, organised as part of its stakeholder engagement ahead of the poll.
Mohammed Haruna, national commissioner supervising the FCT and chairman of the information and voter education committee, said the media remains central to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy, stressing that voter participation and responsible reportage are key to credible elections.
He urged journalists to use their platforms to educate and mobilise eligible voters, adding that effective coverage requires sound knowledge of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, alongside integrity, fairness and strict adherence to the Code of Conduct for Election Coverage.
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Haruna cautioned that personal opinions must not interfere with objective reporting, noting that democracy thrives when public interest is placed above partisanship.
On INEC’s preparedness, he disclosed that the commission has completed 10 of the 13 key activities in its timetable, including the publication of the final register of voters on January 14, with copies distributed to political parties.
He said the remaining steps include the publication of the Notice of Poll on February 7, the end of campaigns on February 19 and Election Day on February 21.
Haruna added that observer accreditation has closed, while media accreditation remains open until February 8, urging organisations yet to apply to do so promptly.
He said INEC has acquired virtually all non-sensitive materials for the election, which have already been batched across the six Area Councils, 62 wards, and 2,822 polling units in the FCT.
Sensitive materials such as ballot papers and result sheets, he explained, will be printed and received from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN FCT branch on February 18 in the presence of party agents, security agencies, civil society groups and the media.
He also said adequate BVAS machines are being configured for deployment across polling units.
Haruna noted that although Area Council elections are similar to local government polls conducted by state electoral commissions, Section 299 of the Constitution applies the Constitution to the FCT as if it were a state.
In practical terms, he said, the FCT poll is conducted like a governorship election, adding that the territory’s voting population is larger than those of Bayelsa and Ekiti States, which attracts national and international attention.
He stressed that, as the first FCT Area Council election since tenure was extended from three to four years under the Electoral Act, INEC is determined to deliver a free, fair and credible process.
Earlier, Aminu Kasimu Idris, resident electoral commissioner for the FCT, described the forum as strategic for strengthening collaboration between INEC and the media.
He said public confidence depends not only on how elections are conducted but also on how they are reported.
Idris listed preparations already undertaken, including monitoring of party primaries, publication of final candidate lists, campaign monitoring, batching of materials, BVAS activation,
voter sensitisation, security collaboration and training of election security personnel.
He also disclosed that INEC approved the replacement of the APC candidate for Igu ward in Bwari Area Council following the death of the initial candidate, Zachariah James Danbaki, with Danbaki Titus emerging as the replacement.
The REC announced that INEC will conduct a mock accreditation exercise in 289 selected polling units across the six councils to test BVAS accreditation, voting procedures and dummy uploads to the INEC Result Viewing portal.
On voter statistics, he said the FCT now has 1,680,315 registered voters following the revision of the register.
He added that INEC has approved the decongestion of large registration area centres in parts of Bwari and the Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC to improve efficiency.
Idris clarified that elections will not be held in four polling units, three in Garki ward and one in Jiwa ward, due to the absence of registered voters.
In a goodwill message, Grace Ike, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ FCT council, commended INEC for convening the forum, describing it as timely amid the rapid spread of misinformation.
She urged journalists to prioritise accuracy over speed, reject hate speech, ensure fairness and uphold professionalism.
Ike also called for the safety and protection of journalists, urging INEC, security agencies and political actors to guarantee the security of reporters and their equipment before, during and after the elections.
She further stressed the need for sustained transparency and effective communication from INEC to counter rumours and fake results.
