For the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, which are set for Saturday, February 12, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, has made public the final list of 17 candidates.
In a statement released Tuesday in Abuja, Mr. Sam Olumekun, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, or IVEC, disclosed the information.
“The publication came after the end of the legally mandated period for candidate substitution and withdrawal,” he stated.
The personal information of the candidates that won from the political party primaries was released by INEC on August 18.
According to Olumekun, by the deadline of 6 p.m. on Monday, August 11, 17 political parties have submitted the information on their candidates (Form EC9).
According to Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act, “no further withdrawal or replacement of candidates will be permitted with the publication of this final list, except in the unfortunate event of a candidate or running mate passing away prior to election day,” Olumekun stated.
For public knowledge and review, he noted, the complete list of candidates—including information on their political parties, age, gender, and educational backgrounds—had been posted to INEC’s website and social media accounts.
