Nigeria’s electoral commission says it will act on fresh security intelligence and intensify efforts to curb vote buying ahead of local elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) later this month.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the National Peace Committee (NPC), led by Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo.
The FCT Area Council elections are scheduled for 21 February 2026.
Amupitan described the Committee’s security briefing as “timely and valuable,” saying the Commission would review the intelligence and share it with relevant security agencies.
“You have presented to us a very great piece of information. We are not going to take it for granted. We are going to be sharing this with our security department so that we can at least take this information and take necessary steps that we are supposed to take,” he said.
He noted that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) would receive “special scrutiny and attention,” alongside Bwari and Kuje Area Councils, based on concerns raised in the briefing.
The INEC chairman also reiterated the Commission’s determination to combat vote buying, a recurring challenge in Nigerian elections. He said the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) had been placed on alert.
“We specifically charged the Nigeria Police, the EFCC, and also the ICPC to be on guard so that we can arrest the menace of vote buying and what some people call ‘divorce trading’,” Amupitan said.
He described the Peace Accord—an agreement signed by political actors ahead of elections—as a social contract binding parties to peaceful conduct and acceptance of results. He added that electoral activities in 2026 form part of broader preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
“We regard 2026 as our preparatory year for the 2027 general election,” he said.
Rev. Fr. Barkindo conveyed the goodwill of former Nigerian head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who chairs the National Peace Committee, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, its convener. He pledged continued collaboration with INEC to promote credible and peaceful polls.
The Committee’s Election Security and Information Hub, launched last year, has developed networks and field agents to monitor insecurity, violence and conflict trends, he said, stressing that its interventions are data-driven.
A hotspot analysis presented by the Committee identified AMAC, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Kuje Area Councils as areas requiring heightened vigilance.
According to the findings, AMAC recorded high tendencies for vote buying and threats among political actors. Gwagwalada was flagged over indigene-settler tensions and a history of political thuggery, particularly in Jiwa community.
Bwari was described as sensitive due to farmer-herder clashes, kidnapping incidents and limited security presence in some areas. Kwali Area Council, which borders Kaduna and Niger states, was also identified as vulnerable because of security challenges in adjoining regions.
The Committee said its data framework tracks pre-election violence that could affect the integrity of the polls, as well as electoral offences in line with the Peace Accord.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced repeated concerns over electoral violence and vote buying. Authorities say strengthening security coordination and enforcement ahead of the FCT elections is aimed at boosting public confidence in the process before the nationwide vote in 2027.
INEC Pledges Action on Security Risks, Steps Up Anti–Vote Buying Measures Ahead of Abuja Polls
