The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that voter turnout in the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections stood at 14 percent, an improvement from the 9.4 percent recorded in 2022. The commission conducted chairmanship and councillorship elections across the six area councils in Abuja on Saturday.
In a statement, Wilfred Ifogah, INEC’s acting director of voter education and publicity, described the turnout as a noticeable increase compared to the previous FCT council polls.
According to the commission, 1.68 million voters were registered for the 2026 elections, compared to 1.58 million in 2022 reflecting an increase of about 100,000 voters, or 6.3 percent growth in the voter register. Out of the 1.68 million registered voters this year, 239,210 cast their ballots, translating to a 14.2 percent turnout. In contrast, 148,685 voters participated in the 2022 elections.
The latest figures show an increase of 90,510 voters in actual participation, representing a 61 percent rise compared to 2022. While many Nigerians and civil society organizations commended the peaceful conduct of the polls, concerns were raised about the relatively low participation rate.
Despite the improvement, more than 85 percent of registered voters did not take part in the 2026 elections, highlighting ongoing concerns about voter apathy in the country.