The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended adjustments made to some polling units during the just-concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, insisting that no voter was migrated from their original polling unit.

The Commission clarified that contrary to claims in some quarters, it did not move voters to new or different polling units.

The commission in a statement on Sunday by its Acting Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Wilfred Ifogah, said it  created split polling units in locations with more than 1,250 registered voters to reduce congestion and ensure a smoother voting process on election day.

According to INEC, the split units were situated only a few metres away from the original polling units and remained within the same premises, thereby maintaining voters’ assigned locations while improving logistics and crowd control.

The Commission recalled that the Register of Voters was displayed at designated centres, including the newly created split polling units, four days before the election to enable residents verify their details and confirm their polling locations.

It added that text messages and emails were sent to affected voters between February 18 and 21 as reminders, indicating the exact locations of their split polling units.

“Contrary to the claim in some quarters that some voters were migrated to another/ new polling units different from their original polling units, the Commission wishes to state categorically that voters were not migrated, what the Commission did was to create split polling units in large polling units with voters registration of over 1,250 voters to avoid congestion on election day.

“The split units are located some few meters away from the original polling units within the same premises.

“The public will recall that the Commission displayed the Register of Voters at designated centres/split polling units four days to the Area Council elections to enable voters confirm their details and polling unit locations. Text messages/emails were sent to the affected voters on Wednesday 18, Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 February 2026 indicating the actual locations of their split polling units, were intended solely as reminders to assist them in identifying their current polling units.”

INEC maintained that the measure was purely administrative and aimed at enhancing efficiency, dismissing allegations of voter migration as unfounded.

While acknowledging that some voters experienced difficulty locating their polling units, the Commission said the initiative was part of broader efforts to strengthen the electoral process and reduce overcrowding at polling centres across the six Area Councils.

According to the Commission’s Election Operations Dashboard, 45 per cent of polling units had opened as of 8:30 a.m., while all polling units were confirmed open by 10:00 a.m. on election day.

It, however, acknowledged that some voters experienced difficulty locating their designated polling units.

On result management, INEC disclosed that as of 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 93 per cent of polling unit results had been uploaded to its Result Viewing (IReV) portal, allowing residents and other stakeholders to access results from across the six Area Councils.

The Commission also addressed concerns over voter turnout, admitting that apathy remains a challenge but noting an improvement compared to the 2022 Area Council election.

While 148,685 voters, representing 9.4 per cent of registered voters, participated in the 2022 poll, over 239,210 voters  approximately 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT cast their ballots in the 2026 election.

INEC attributed the delay in announcing the Kuje Area Council result to the difficult terrain of Kabi Ward, which slowed the final collation process.

The Commission appreciated FCT residents for their peaceful conduct and cooperation throughout the electoral process, describing the level of participation as a reflection of citizens’ continued trust in the democratic system.