Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the Senate, has urged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to review and suspend the movement restriction imposed across Abuja ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday February 21, 2026, saying the curfew is unnecessary and infringes on residents’ constitutional rights, political observers report.

Wike on Thursday declared Friday February 20, 2026 a work-free day and announced a restriction of movement from 8 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Saturday, a directive he said was intended to allow residents to travel to their hometowns and participate in the polls. The curfew was issued with approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a broadcast aimed at facilitating orderly voting conditions across the six area councils in the FCT.

In a statement signed by her media aide Matilda Duncan Senator Kingibe strongly criticised the curfew calling it “authoritarian ill-considered and unacceptable in a democratic society.” She said there was no reported security breach to justify a territory-wide restriction and argued that the directive could inflict economic hardship on small businesses workers families and international visitors.

Kingibe emphasised that while security remains important for free and fair elections there was no evidence of imminent threats that would warrant such a sweeping limitation on movement. She said decisions of this magnitude should be preceded by broad consultations with stakeholders and backed by clear justification rather than executed unilaterally.

Her call for review and suspension reflects growing public debate about the balance between security measures and personal freedoms during elections. Critics of the restriction argue that it could disrupt normal economic activity and daily routines ahead of the polls even as authorities maintain that the measures are aimed at ensuring safety and a peaceful voting environment.