By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA
As 1,587,025 voters prepare to cast their ballots in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the FCT Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has ordered its personnel to steer clear of the actual voting process.
The elections, which serve as the debut test for the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, feature a high-stakes environment with a 94.4 per cent PVC collection rate among the 1,680,315 registered residents.
Addressing officers and men at the Command Headquarters in Wuse Zone 5, the NSCDC Commandant emphasised that security, not “voter education”, is their primary mandate.
The Commandant warned officers against the temptation of helping voters navigate their ballot papers, a practice often cited as a cover for electoral influence.
“Don’t assist any voter to vote. I don’t want to hear that ‘he said he didn’t know the parties or couldn’t see well’, and then you will now assist him. Steer clear of anything that could send out wrong signals,” the Commandant cautioned.
Odumosu stressed that professionalism and neutrality are non-negotiable for the duration of the exercise.
“My charge, as always, is that you remain professional. Remain non-partisan. You belong to no political party. Our job is security. Protect humans and infrastructure. “I don’t want to hear that you worked for any political party or candidate,” he said.
To ensure a peaceful exercise across the six Area Councils, the NSCDC has deployed over 4,000 personnel to work in tandem with other security agencies.
A “crack squad” has also been placed on standby for rapid intervention should any volatile situations arise.
“Your duty is for you to work in synergy with other agencies to ensure a peaceful exercise. You have a shared purpose. No compromise. At the end of the day, we want the FCT Command to be adjudged very professional,” he stated.
The exercise will cover 68 constituencies, including six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats. While 570 candidates originally entered the fray, the build-up to the polls has been marked by high-profile political realignments.
In a major shift, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Zadna Dantani, withdrew on Thursday to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. The development followed a similar move in Bwari Area Council, where PDP’s Julius Adamu stepped down for APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa.
As the first litmus test for the 2026 Electoral Act, all eyes remain on the FCT to see if the high Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate translates into a seamless and credible democratic process.
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