Last Saturday, February 21, elections in FCT, Abuja were interesting because they were clearly a litmus test for the newly Electoral Act 2026 that was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. The President had promised after signing the electoral act 2026 that we were “all going to see democracy flourish” and Senate President Godswill Akpabio also added that the amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 will “enable us to conduct free and fair elections in Nigeria that will be acceptable to all Nigerians and it will meet the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians as democrats.” But after the elections in FCT, Kano and River state, there were more questions than answers. First did the elections truly meet the expectations of Nigeria? Can we truly say the impression given by Mr. President of a flourishing democracy was fait accomplished? Did they truly meet the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerian democrats?
Prior to the Election Day, there were palpable fears and anxieties about what to expect in 2027 election and raised questions about credible and transparent elections. Questions were raised about the Nigeria electoral process in terms of management of election and the role of stakeholders, political actors, INEC, security agencies, the voting public as well as credibility and acceptance of election results especially by the opposition parties. But after last Saturday election, many Nigerians has condemned the election especially after the ruling party won five out of the six area councils in Abuja and winning the bye-elections in Kano and River states.
Many have cried foul. The electoral body and its chairman Professor Amupitan has been vilified and castigated that the elections were riddled with all kinds of discrepancies. Though critics are mainly opposition parties and the CSOs while the ruling party, APC and their supporters are happy and dubbed the outcome of the elections as credible and transparent. So the results of the FCT elections have proved analysts, critics and opposition politicians right that the recently passed electoral act of 2026 was not the best for Nigeria. The assumption that the 2026 electoral act is the magic wand that we need in Nigeria ended being a disaster. From the time past, elections in Nigeria are always subject to criticisms and rejection. No matter how credible or transparent elections may be, contestants and winners will always be at each other’s throat by challenging the outcome in the law courts.
Following the on-going disagreement in FCT elections, political parties, the INEC and the National Orientation Agency have a lot to do to educate the voting public and invest more in voter mobilization to forestall low turnout by the voting publics in future elections. The Abuja Area Councils elections are the second set of elections conducted under Professor Joash Amupitan after the Anambra elections in November 2025. As we progress towards June and August 2026 elections in Ekiti and Osun, analysts are of the opinion that the biggest challenges are these elections and the general election of 2027. So, for the people’s votes to count in subsequent elections in Nigeria, the people must come out to vote, and perform their civic duty as responsible citizens.
INEC has been commended for the peaceful conduct of the recent elections but that does not mean that INEC is victorious because there are still many rivers to cross by the electoral body. In recent elections under Professor Joash Amupitan, there have been reports of voters not finding their names in designated polling units and the migration of voters from one polling unit to the other. Though INEC denied the migration of voters, it admitted that it created split units because of high number of registered voters which were located a few meters away from the original polling units known to voters in order to reduce congestion and voters were duly informed four days before the FCT elections.
However, low turnout and intensified backlash against the Electoral Act 2026 seems to cast a long shadow over the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections. So INEC must ensure that voter’s education through the National Orientation Agency is intensified and ensure credible and transparent election to forestall complaints, hues and cries over outcome of future elections in Nigeria. The electoral body must not give room to any shambolic performance in future elections. Trust in the electoral process can only be enhanced and sustained if INEC do their job transparently, credible and accepted outcome of elections.
