From David Onuoja, Abuja
In order to maintain a peaceful and safe delivery of the February, 2026 Area Council Elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has organized a multi-stakeholders meeting on Election Risks Management in Abuja.
Delivering his keynote address, the National Commissioner in charge of Planning and Monitoring Committee, Professor Rhoda Gumus, stated that Electoral Risks Management engagement is organised to strengthen the Commission’s capacity to collect and analyse risk data for improved situational awareness, for a peaceful conduct of the 2026 Area Council Election in the FCT.
She expressed optimism that the exchange of election risk information, among stakeholders as envisioned in the workshop, will help support the Commission’s risk mitigating measures and provide preventive mechanisms to guarantee credible and peaceful Area Council Elections.
Speaking at the event, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC- FCT and the chief host, Malam Aminu Idris, in his welcome address, said that the coming together of stakeholders to brainstorm on election risk management will help create the synergy needed to develop proactive strategies for mitigating risks before, during, and after the elections.
The engagement which had paper presentations and a breakout session, culminated in the production of a high-level map on harmonised risk factors in the FCT.
The Electoral Risks Management workshop which had in attendance Malam Haruna Mohammed, INEC National Commissioner in charge of FCT, had participants drawn from the security agencies, election focal Civil Society Organisations, the media and INEC.
