637 Candidates Ready to Battle for 68 Seats in FCT Area Council Poll — INEC

By: Oluwaseun Lawal

Big numbers ahead in the Federal Capital Territory. INEC just announced that 637 hopefuls will be contesting for 68 seats in the 2026 Area Council elections. That’s six chairmanship spots and 62 councillorship positions spread across the six area councils.

Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and head of Information and Voter Education, shared the update on Thursday. Seventeen political parties threw their hats in the ring, submitting nominations before the August 11 deadline.

Here’s the deal: come August 18, INEC will publish the personal details of all these candidates. We’re talking academic qualifications, supporting documents — everything. These will be displayed at INEC offices in all six area councils, so the public can have a good look.

Olumekun urged everyone to check the documents carefully. If anyone suspects false info, they can challenge it in Federal High Court. Fair game.

The final candidate list drops on September 22, 2025 — that’s at least 150 days before the election, as the law demands.

Mark your calendars: the FCT Area Council election is set for February 21, 2026. It’s going to be a busy race. Stay tuned.