Daniel Otera
Residents of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) face a tight deadline to finish their voter registrations as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspends the online pre-registration option for new voters at 11.59pm on Monday, 15th September 2025. This move comes in preparation for the 2026 FCT Area Council Election, scheduled for Saturday, 21st February 2026, and aims to ensure all who have started the process online can complete it in person at designated centres.
The decision aligns with INEC’s broader strategy to devolve voter registration to ward levels across the FCT, expanding access ahead of the polls. According to a statement obtained by The Journal, the suspension allows those who have pre-registered to visit registration centres and finalise their details. “This is to enable all those who have pre-registered to go and complete their registrations,” the statement notes. It further encourages all FCT residents who wish to pre-register before visiting the INEC registration centres to complete the process to avail themselves of this opportunity.
While the online pre-registration for new voters ends on 15th September 2025, the in-person option remains available until the close of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The statement clarifies that the online CVR portal stays open for other services. “The online CVR portal is still available to all FCT residents who wish to transfer their Polling Units, or update their details, or request for the reprint of their PVCs,” it adds. The portal address is cvr.inecnigeria.org.
All voter registration activities in the FCT will halt completely on 8th October 2025, as required by Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates ending the process at least 90 days before the election date. This suspension covers both online and in-person registrations, resuming only after the February 2026 polls and continuing until August 2026, when nationwide CVR pauses ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC’s actions build on the nationwide CVR exercise that began on 18th August 2025 with online pre-registration, followed by in-person registration from 25th August 2025 at state offices, FCT offices, and 774 Local Government Area offices across Nigeria. Early data shows strong participation, with 1,379,342 Nigerians completing online pre-registrations in the first week alone. By 7th September 2025, this figure reached 3,544,850 online pre-registrations over three weeks. In-person registrations added 288,614 by 4th September 2025, with females at 155,980 (54.04 percent) and males at 132,634 (45.96 percent).
In the FCT specifically, 107,682 residents (7.81 percent of the national total) had pre-registered online in the initial phase, placing it fourth after Osun (393,269 or 28.51 percent), Lagos (222,205 or 16.11 percent), and Ogun (132,823 or 9.63 percent). Within the first five days of in-person registration ending 29th August 2025, the North Central zone including the FCT recorded 11,045 completions out of 72,274 nationwide, with 35,622 males (49.29 percent) and 36,652 females (50.71 percent).
To boost accessibility, INEC has extended physical registration from the current FCT office and six Area Council offices to all 62 wards, creating 69 centres in total. This devolved exercise starts on Monday, 29th September 2025, and runs until Wednesday, 8th October 2025. INEC has published the full list and addresses of these 69 centres on its website and other platforms for public access.
The FCT Area Council Election covers the six area councils Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali where voters will elect chairmen and councillors. The last such election occurred on 12th February 2022, and the current tenure ends in early 2026. INEC, responsible for these local polls in the FCT unlike state-conducted ones elsewhere, issued the notice for the 2026 election on 16th June 2025, in line with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires at least 360 days’ advance notice.
Eligible citizens turning 18 and those previously unable to register can participate, but INEC warns against double or multiple registrations, which carry penalties under the law. Registered voters can transfer within the FCT or from other states during this period. The commission emphasises that online pre-registration alone is invalid without in-person completion, including biometric capture.
“INEC, making your voters count, consolidating our democracy,” the statement concludes, underscoring the body’s role in strengthening participation. Nationwide, the CVR runs until 30th August 2026, with INEC urging early registration to avoid rushes at centres. Over 27,089 persons with disabilities have pre-registered online so far, reflecting inclusive efforts.
This FCT-focused pause integrates with preparations like party primaries ending 30th June 2025 and candidate list uploads from 21st July to 11th August 2025. The final candidate list was published on 22nd September 2025, with campaigns from 24th September 2025 to midnight on 19th February 2026.