The Peoples Democratic Party has commenced legal action to contest the outcome of Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory after the All Progressives Congress emerged victorious in most of the chairmanship contests.
Official results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission indicated that the APC won five of the six council chairmanship positions across the FCT.
The party claimed victories in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje, while the PDP won only the Gwagwalada chairmanship seat.
The election, which was organised to fill six chairmanship and 62 councillorship positions, recorded low voter participation in many areas, amid allegations of vote inducement and other irregularities raised by opposition stakeholders.
In a statement on Sunday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, announced the formation of a dedicated legal committee to challenge the election results, alleging that the process was undermined by several infractions.
The party said its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, would lead the legal team and advised aggrieved candidates to promptly pursue legal remedies in accordance with electoral laws.
The PDP congratulated its successful candidates, particularly the chairman-elect of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kasim, describing the victory as noteworthy despite what it called a difficult electoral environment.
According to the statement, “The outcome, though below our expectations, is encouraging considering the level of intimidation, influence of money politics and executive interference observed during the election.”
The opposition party further alleged that some security personnel acted improperly during the polls, claiming there were incidents where electoral materials were allegedly removed from polling units while voters faced intimidation.
It also linked the low turnout recorded during the exercise to public dissatisfaction with the Electoral Act 2026, warning that the development could signal potential challenges for future elections if urgent reforms were not introduced.
INEC, however, declared Christopher Maikalangu of the APC as winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship election after securing 40,295 votes from a total of 62,861 valid ballots cast. The Returning Officer for AMAC, Andrew Abue, confirmed that Maikalangu fulfilled all legal requirements and was duly returned elected.
Reacting to the poll, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed concern over declining civic participation, describing the turnout as evidence of waning confidence in Nigeria’s democratic system.
In a statement issued by his media office, the African Democratic Congress chieftain attributed the situation to what he described as a political climate marked by intolerance, intimidation and the gradual weakening of opposition parties, urging democratic forces to unite in defence of the electoral process.
Similarly, PDP presidential aspirant, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said the party’s performance in the election reflected renewed momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He commended party members and supporters for remaining steadfast despite internal disagreements and external political pressure, adding that the results underscored the PDP’s continued political relevance.
