The African Democratic Congress has criticized a curfew in the Federal Capital Territory declared a day before the election, calling it an attempt to suppress voters. The Peoples Democratic Party has denied approving the stepping down of two chairmanship candidates for the Saturday poll, describing the move as shameful.
Ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, two major political parties have voiced separate concerns. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) raised alarm over a premature declaration of curfew in the FCT on Friday, describing it as an attempt to suppress voters. According to the ADC, this measure could hinder participation in the poll.
In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) addressed reports of two of its chairmanship candidates stepping down. The party stated that it did not approve this action and described the stepping down as shameful. The PDP emphasized that the candidates were set to contest in the Saturday election for FCT positions.
Both statements were issued on February 20, 2026, highlighting tensions in the preparations for the FCT poll. No further details on the curfew's scope or the reasons for the candidates' decisions were provided in the reports.