The National Peace Committee, NPC, has identified areas where there could be security issues during the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
During a courtesy visit by the NPC delegation to the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, over the upcoming elections Abuja, the commission highlighted areas such as Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Kuje as areas where security agencies should focus.
Speaking at the event the Project Manager of the NPC Mrs Asabe Ndahi called on security agencies to mobilize in such areas to enable smooth running of the FCT area council elections to be held February 21, 2026.
She explained that the FCT poll would serve as a “mirror” for the 2027 general elections, scheduled to hold exactly one year later, making it critical for stakeholders to address emerging risks.
“As we know, the FCT elections will be a mirror through which Nigerians will begin to picture the 2027 general election,” she said.
“At The Kukah Centre, we have gathered election security data on the FCT since June last year.”
According to her, the committee’s data collection framework focuses on two key streams: incidents of election-related violence that may occur before Election Day but could impact the electoral process, and an electoral offences tracking system aligned with the provisions of the Peace Accord, the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“We have what we call election-related violence incidents that may not happen on Election Day, but have the tendency to affect the elections even before they happen,” she stated.
“The second aspect is the electoral offences tracking system, which reflects the contents of the Peace Accord and extant laws.”
Highlighting specific risk areas, she identified AMAC as a major flashpoint due to reported cases of alleged threats among candidates and a high tendency for vote buying.
In Gwagwalada, the NPC flagged indigene-settler tensions and a history of political thuggery, particularly in Jiwa community, as areas of concern.
The council has also experienced inter-and intra-party crises linked to disputes among candidates.
Bwari Area Council was described as particularly sensitive due to farmer-herder conflicts, kidnapping incidents and areas with limited security presence.
According to her, candidate legitimacy disputes, including court rulings affecting party candidates, could further trigger political tensions.
Kuje and Kwali Area Councils were also identified as vulnerable, especially due to their proximity to Kaduna and Niger States, where prevailing security challenges could spill over into the FCT.
Kwali, the largest Area Council, was said to have recorded repeated security incidents in certain communities, including areas with reported kidnapping cases and limited visible security deployment.
She further stated it would share its full context analysis with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the elections to support preventive measures.
“We are looking forward to a peaceful election, INEC, as the umpire of elections, has a critical role to play. We are aware that the Directorate of Monitoring and Planning has produced a report, and we hope the Commission will graciously grant us access to that report.”
She further expressed optimism that proactive engagement among stakeholders, backed by intelligence-led security deployment, would help ensure a credible and violence-free electoral process in the FCT.
