- Preliminary results from Nyanya Ward show APC leading in early chairmanship counts at PUs 016 and 091.
- Significant voter apathy recorded as only 22 voters were accredited out of 754 registered at PU 016.
- Official collation is currently ongoing across the 2,822 polling units in the Federal Capital Territory.
Results have started trickling in from various wards as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections concluded their voting phase on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Eko Hot Blog reports that following the close of polls in the early afternoon, election officials across the six area councils transitioned immediately to the sorting and counting of ballots.
EDITOR’S PICK
- 540 Candidates Cleared as Lagos APC Moves to Elect LGA Executives
- Court Sentences Pastor to Death for Killing UniUyo Student
- Lagos Teacher Questions Lack of Recognition for One-Day Governor Mentors
Early figures emerging from the Nyanya axis indicate a competitive start for the major political parties, though the exercise was overshadowed by a remarkably low voter turnout across several key polling units.
At Polling Unit 016 in Nyanya, preliminary figures from the chairmanship contest showed the All Progressives Congress (APC) securing 13 votes, placing them ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which polled a single vote. Other participants in the unit included the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with two votes, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with five votes, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) recording one vote.
The trend continued in the councillorship race at the same unit, where the APC scored 11 votes, the ADC secured four votes, and both the PDP and APGA recorded one vote each.
The most striking data point from Polling Unit 016, however, was the level of voter participation.
Despite having 754 registered voters on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) register, only 22 individuals were accredited to vote.
This drastic gap between the number of registered citizens and actual participants reflects a broader trend of voter apathy that was observed in various satellite towns throughout the day. Observers noted that while the process was technically smooth, the expected crowds failed to materialize at many stations.
Similar patterns were recorded at Polling Unit 091, also located within the Nyanya Ward. In the chairmanship contest at this unit, the APC recorded 20 votes, while the PDP, ADC, BOOT Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) each managed to secure one vote.
The councillorship race at PU 091 provided a closer contest, with the PDP leading slightly at 12 votes against the APC’s 11 votes, while the BOOT Party secured one.
Participation levels remained low here as well, with only 24 voters accredited out of a total of 428 registered individuals.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is overseeing the elections for six Area Council chairmen and 62 councillors across the territory. With 2,822 polling units and over 1.6 million registered voters expected to participate, the stakes remain high for the administration of the nation’s capital.
While the early results from Nyanya offer a glimpse into the local preferences, they represent only a fraction of the total vote.
Official collation centers are now active, and security personnel have been deployed in increased numbers to ensure the safe transportation of result sheets from the units to the ward and local government collation centers.
Political analysts suggest that the low turnout may be attributed to a combination of factors, including the off-cycle nature of the local elections and perhaps a lack of intensive grassroots mobilization in the weeks leading up to the polls.
However, those who did participate expressed satisfaction with the speed of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which functioned without the technical glitches that had marred previous exercises.
As the night progresses, residents and party faithful remain on high alert, awaiting the official declarations from INEC to determine who will lead the FCT councils for the next term.
