By Danjuma Amodu | February 25, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that polling units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were split in February 2022, not in the run-up to the February 21, 2026 Area Council elections.
In a statement, INEC said no voter was migrated to new polling units in 2026, contrary to circulating claims. The Commission explained that the splitting of polling units was part of its 2022 Expansion of Voters’ Access initiative, which created over 56,000 additional polling units nationwide, increasing the total from 119,972 to more than 176,000.
Approximately 6.7 million voters were redistributed from about 12,000 congested polling units to 17,000 less crowded units across the country. In the FCT alone, 411 polling units were decongested, with roughly 580,000 voters spread across 1,156 units.
The split polling units, created four years ago, remain within the same premises as the original units and are only a few metres apart. The measure aimed to ease voter accreditation, reduce overcrowding, and improve the voting experience, especially in units with over 1,250 registered voters.
INEC sent text messages and emails to affected voters between February 18 and 21, 2026, to help them locate their designated polling units. These notifications were reminders only and did not involve new voter migration.
Voters are urged to confirm their polling details using INEC’s online Polling Unit Locator and visit their polling units ahead of Election Day to avoid confusion. The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to continuous improvement in electoral service delivery..
