On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the final list of 17 candidates for the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 12, 2026, following the conclusion of the statutory withdrawal and substitution period, as announced by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr. Sam Olumekun (Web:0, Web:1). The list, uploaded to INEC’s website and social media platforms, includes candidates’ personal particulars (Form EC9) submitted by 17 political parties by the August 11, 2025, deadline (Web:0, Web:2).
Olumekun emphasized that no further withdrawals or replacements are permitted, except in cases of a candidate’s or running mate’s death before election day, per Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (Web:0). The comprehensive list details candidates’ political parties, age, gender, and academic qualifications for public scrutiny (Web:0, Web:1). The elections, covering the six FCT Area Councils—Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali—will involve over 1.2 million registered voters, per INEC’s 2024 data (Web:3). X posts from @INECNigeria (September 23, 2025) encouraged voter verification, while @Naija_Activist noted 68% public concern over electoral transparency (Afrobarometer, 2025) (Post:3). The release marks a key milestone in preparations for the polls (Web:2).
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