National Commissioner Muhammed Haruna says voter mobilisation is the duty of political parties, not the electoral umpire, amid single-digit turnout figures.

A National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Muhammed Haruna, has expressed surprise over growing criticism that blames the commission for the low voter turnout recorded in the recently concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

Speaking on Trust TV on Monday, Haruna responded to concerns over widespread voter apathy during the Saturday, February 21, 2026 polls across the six Area Councils in Abuja. The election, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) win five of the six chairmanship seats, recorded alarmingly low participation, with turnout in some areas reportedly falling into single digits.

Haruna rejected claims that INEC should shoulder responsibility for the poor turnout, insisting that such criticism is misplaced.

“While voter turnout is a serious issue, blaming INEC alone is unfair,” he said. “Our role is civic education — to inform citizens about the voting process. Mobilising voters is primarily the responsibility of political parties.”

He noted that political parties, with their extensive grassroots structures and large memberships, are better positioned to drive participation on election day. According to him, INEC is legally barred from promoting any party or candidate and must remain neutral.

“I’m genuinely surprised that INEC is being blamed,” Haruna added. “We encourage citizens to vote, but parties must energise their supporters and bring them out.”

The commissioner stressed that INEC made “comprehensive efforts” before and during the election to boost voter awareness and participation.

The low turnout has since triggered national debate, with election observers, opposition figures — including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar — and some political parties linking voter apathy to declining trust in the electoral process, concerns over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, and perceived transparency gaps.

Despite these concerns, INEC officials maintained that the elections were largely peaceful and orderly across many polling units in the FCT.