Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved the promotion of more than 2,000 members of staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Mr Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ezeh explained that the members of staff who cut across 165 cadres were promoted after a Computer-Based Test held on Nov. 29, 2025.

He described the promotion as a clear demonstration of Wike’s commitment to staff welfare and career progression.

He urged civil servants in the FCT to continue to work hard, stressing that only diligent and hardworking members of staff would be promoted through the CBT.

Meanwhile, INEC said it will ensure that votes count in the forthcoming February Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council and August Osun governorship elections.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for Osun, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, and his counterpart in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Aminu Idris, gave the commitment at the commission’s 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat.

The event was organised for the INEC newly appointed National Chairman, Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the event, Agboke assured residents of Osun State of strict adherence to the rule of law to ensure transparent and credible polls.

“The determination of INEC in the coming election is to ensure that people’s votes count.

“The chairman was clear about the rule of law and people’s votes. In our state, there is not going to be any exception. We are going to do our best. We are going to ensure that people follow the process and their votes count,” Agboke said.

According to him, the commission is prepared to reaffirm people’s confidence in INEC, having taken lessons from the recently conducted Anambra governorship election.

He said the state would also take lessons from the February FCT Area Council polls and the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election.

Agboke said that the engagement and re-engagement of stakeholders remained vital, adding that the commission would not stop enlightening stakeholders on the need for violence-free elections.

“And we have been doing it in Osun; we organise stakeholders’ engagement quarterly.

“We carry the message to them. They understand what we are doing. That is why Osun didn’t record any issue after the party primaries conducted recently; no issue came out of it.

“The stakeholders listened to what we told them, and the atmosphere was very peaceful,” he said.

Agboke, however, listed vote-buying and violence as the greatest challenges facing elections, calling on all stakeholders to join hands to address them.

He said: “We also need to let them (stakeholders) understand the fact that the cankerworm that is bedevilling the activities of the commission are just two majorly: vote-buying and violence.

“INEC has no money to distribute on election day. INEC does not have weapons to give to anybody on election day.”