February 20, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political actors and voters to ensure peaceful, orderly and credible elections as polls are held on Saturday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and parts of Kano and Rivers states.
INEC is scheduled to conduct elections in the six area councils of the FCT, alongside bye-elections in the Ahoada East II and Khana II State constituencies of Rivers State, as well as the Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State.
In a statement issued on Friday, the President urged all eligible voters to come out and exercise their civic rights without fear, noting that democracy thrives best in an atmosphere of calm, tolerance and mutual respect.
Tinubu appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to shun violence, hate speech and inflammatory actions capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
He cautioned against intimidation, voter suppression and any form of high-handedness that could disenfranchise citizens or erode public trust, stressing that security personnel deployed for the elections are present to protect lives and property while safeguarding the sanctity of the ballot.
The President also tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission to take all necessary measures to strengthen voters’ confidence by ensuring timely accreditation, smooth voting, accurate collation and prompt transmission of results, in line with the provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act.
“Fellow Nigerians, I assure you that the Federal Government under my administration will continue to support institutions responsible for delivering free, fair and credible elections”, Tinubu said.
Commending residents of the FCT, Kano and Rivers for their civic consciousness, the President expressed confidence that the elections would reflect the will of the people and further consolidate Nigeria’s democratic journey.
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