FCT Poll: PDP Drags APC to Court After Five-Council Sweep

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated a special legal team to challenge the outcome of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, following a sweeping victory by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in five of the six chairmanship contests.

According to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC secured chairmanship seats in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje, while the PDP recorded its only win in Gwagwalada. The elections, conducted to fill six chairmanship and 62 councillorship positions, were marked by low voter turnout and allegations of irregularities.

APC Dominates Five Councils as PDP Secures Lone Victory

Official results released by INEC indicate that the APC achieved significant margins in several councils. In AMAC, Christopher Maikalangu polled 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes cast to clinch victory. The African Democratic Congress came second with 12,109 votes, while the PDP finished third with 3,398 votes.

In Bwari, APC candidate Joshua Ishaku secured 18,466 votes, defeating his closest rivals. Similarly, in Abaji, Umar Abubakar of the APC polled 15,535 votes to emerge victorious. The party also prevailed in Kwali, where Nuhu Daniel defeated PDP’s Haruna Pai, and in Kuje, where Danjuma Shekwolo secured 17,269 votes to win the chairmanship seat.

The PDP’s lone triumph came in Gwagwalada, where Mohammed Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Yahaya Shehu, who garnered 17,788 votes. INEC confirmed that over 239,000 voters participated in the elections, representing approximately 15 per cent of the 1.68 million registered voters in the FCT.

PDP Alleges Irregularities, Heads to Court

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP congratulated its successful candidates but alleged widespread irregularities. The party accused security personnel of interfering with the process and alleged instances of vote-buying and intimidation.

To pursue its claims, the PDP announced the inauguration of a legal team headed by its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, Esq. The party described the election environment as marred by what it termed “unprecedented intimidation” and “high-powered money politics,” urging aggrieved candidates to act promptly within the legal framework.

The PDP further linked voter apathy to what it described as public dissatisfaction with the Electoral Act 2026, warning that the FCT polls could foreshadow challenges in the 2027 general elections if reforms are not undertaken.

INEC Defends Process, Addresses Voter Concerns

Responding to allegations of voter migration, INEC denied claims that registered voters were transferred to unfamiliar polling units. The commission clarified that it created split polling units in areas with more than 1,250 registered voters to ease congestion, noting that the additional units were located within the same premises as the original centres.

INEC stated that voter registers were displayed ahead of the election to enable verification, and notifications were sent via text messages and emails to affected voters. As of 2:00 pm on February 22, 93 per cent of polling unit results had been uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.

While expressing concern over low turnout, the commission noted that participation improved compared to the 2022 Area Council elections, which recorded 9.4 per cent voter turnout. Despite this marginal progress, the 2026 polls underscore ongoing concerns about civic engagement in local government elections within the FCT.