A total of 637 aspirants are running for leadership positions in the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, with political parties fielding candidates for both chairmanship and councillorship seats.
The election will fill 68 positions, six for council chairmen and 62 for councillors, across the six area councils, reflecting an intense push by parties to strengthen their grassroots presence in Nigeria’s capital.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 17 political parties submitted nominations before the deadline of 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 11, 2025.
This was confirmed in a statement on Thursday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.
Olumekun stated that, in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, the personal particulars of all nominated candidates, including academic qualifications and supporting documents submitted via Form EC9, will be published on Monday, August 18, 2025.
The documents will be displayed at INEC offices in each of the six area councils for public scrutiny, ahead of the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.
“We urge citizens to carefully examine these documents. Anyone who participated in a party primary and has credible evidence that a candidate’s information is false may seek legal redress at the Federal High Court, as provided by law,” Olumekun said.
INEC added that the final list of candidates will be published on September 22, 2025, in accordance with Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act, which mandates release at least 150 days before the election.
