President Tinubu Demands Zero Violence as Abuja, Rivers, and Kano Head to High-Stakes Saturday Polls

President Bola Tinubu has sent a strong message to voters and political actors ahead of Saturday’s critical elections: “Peace is not negotiable.” In a statement released on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President called for a “State of Harmony” as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, and Kano states prepare for a series of localized but high-tension polls on February 21, 2026.

While the FCT is conducting full-scale Area Council elections across its six administrative zones, Rivers and Kano will be focused on crucial bye-elections to fill vacant seats in their respective state and federal constituencies. For Abuja, the stakes are particularly high; with over 1.6 million voters expected at the polls, the exercise is being closely watched as a definitive “litmus test” for the new Electoral Act 2026, which the President signed into law just days ago.

“Democracy thrives best in an atmosphere of calm, tolerance, and mutual respect,” Tinubu stated. He urged security personnel to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any form of intimidation that could disenfranchise the 570 candidates or their supporters. The President also put the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the spot, demanding the “prompt and transparent” transmission of results to bolster public confidence in the digital voting era.

In Abuja, the city is already in a “pre-election lockdown” mode. With 89 accredited observer groups and 700 journalists ready to monitor the 2,822 polling units, the FCT election is the second major outing for the current INEC leadership. To ensure a smooth process, the commission has deployed an upgraded version of the BVAS machines, promising that the technological glitches of the past have been “systematically addressed.”

As the “Gateway” and “Center of Excellence” states look on, the eyes of the nation are fixed on these three hubs. The President’s message remains a firm reminder: while the contest for power is necessary, the stability of the nation must remain the ultimate winner.