By our reporter
President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to maintain calm, order, and peaceful conduct as residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, and Kano prepare to vote on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu appealed to voters, security agencies, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to perform their duties responsibly and without fear.
“Democracy works best in an atmosphere of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect,” the President said. He called on political parties, candidates, and their supporters to refrain from violence, hate speech, and any actions that could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
Tinubu also warned against intimidation or any attempt to prevent voters from exercising their rights, emphasizing that security personnel have been deployed solely to protect lives, property, and the integrity of the ballot.
The elections follow the recent signing of the Electoral Act 2026 into law by the President. The legislation strengthens the legal framework for the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and mandates the electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing portal, while retaining manual collation as a backup in case of network challenges.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, confirmed that preparations are nearly complete. Non-sensitive materials have been delivered, electoral officers and security agents trained, and BVAS devices configured for the polls.
In the FCT, elections will be held across the six area councils, with 1,680,315 registered voters expected to cast ballots in 2,822 polling units. Rivers State will conduct bye-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies following the resignation and death of lawmakers.
Kano State will hold polls in Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies after the deaths of two members of the State House of Assembly. Kano Municipal has 330,228 registered voters in 630 polling units, while Ungogo has 205,418 voters across 384 polling units.
To ensure security, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike announced movement restrictions in Abuja from 8:00 p.m. on February 20 until 6:00 p.m. on February 21.
The President expressed confidence that the elections will reflect the will of the people and further strengthen Nigeria’s democratic journey
About The Author
