The All Progressives Congress (APC) asserted its political dominance in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), defeating the major opposition parties, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the chairmanships and councillors elections held at the weekend.
Besides the nation’s seat of power, APC also proved its political superiority in the Kano and Rivers by-elections same weekend.
President Bola Tinubu, the APC leadership and its governors yesterday hailed the outcome of the elections as reflective of the party’s acceptance by Nigerians and its administration’s reform.
But opposition parties and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar dismissed the ruling party’s victory, accusing it of shrinking the democratic space through voter intimidation and vote buying.
Also, Civil Society Organisations like YiagaAfrica, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) equally picked holes in the quality of the elections, passing a damning verdict on the exercises in the FCT, Kano and Rivers states.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted elections in the six area councils of the FCT and by-elections in the Ahoada East II and Khana II state constituencies of Rivers State, as well as in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State.
In the FCT, the election was marred by voter apathy and vote buying. In Kano and Rivers, it was mainly an APC affair as other key opposition parties could not field candidates.
This was the first election conducted by INEC under the new, and what some consider controversial, Electoral Amendment Act, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, 18 February.
It also marked the second election overseen by the new INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, since he assumed office on 23 October, 2025. His first was the Anambra State governorship election held in November 2025.
Meanwhile, the APC recorded massive wins in the FCT election.
Results from polling units across the six local council areas of the FCT began appearing on the commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) just hours after the conclusion of the election.
Below are the detailed results from each Area Council:
Gwagwalada Area Council (PDP)
The PDP candidate, Mohammed Kasim, was declared winner of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election.
The Returning Officer from INEC, Philip Akpen, announced the result on Sunday, 22 February.
He stated that Kasim secured 22,165 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.
Akpen described the election as peaceful and smoothly conducted.
The number of registered voters was 207,577; while accredited to vote were 46,294.
The total valid votes were 43,960 while rejected votes were 1,521.
Abuja Municipal Area Council (APC)
INEC declared Christopher Maikalangu of the APC the elected chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). Maikalangu secured 40, 295 votes to defeat his closest rival, Paul Moses Ogidi of ADC who scored 12,109 votes. The collation officer for AMAC was Andrew Abue.
Bwari Area Council (APC)
INEC has declared Joshua Ishaku of the APC the winner of the Bwari Area Council chairmanship election.
Ishaku scored 18,466 votes to defeat the candidates of ADC with 4,254 and ZLP, 3,515
The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Mohammed Nurudeen, announced the result on Sunday in Bwari.
Kwali Area Council (APC)
APC’s Daniel Nuhu won the Kwali Area Council chairmanship election with 16,656 votes.
Nuhu defeated his closest rival, Haruna Pai of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 8,467 votes to come second.
Abaji Area Council (APC)
Umar Abdullahi of the APC also won the chairmanship election for Abaji Area Council.
He polled 15,535 and· PDP candidate got 4,547
Kuje Area Council
Danjuma Samuel of the APC was declared the winner of the Kuje Area Council chairmanship election.
The Returning Officer, Professor Nkiruka Odoh, announced Samuel as the winner after collating the results at the INEC office in Kuje.
Samuel scored 17,269 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Zakwoyi Danlami of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 15,824 votes.
Serve With Humility, Patriotism, Tinubu urges winners
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the winners of Saturday’s elections in the Federal Capital Territory and the states of Kano and Rivers.
In a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President urged the winners to serve with humility, patriotism, and dedication and to view the mandate given to them by the people as a sacred trust.
He commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his remarkable achievements in the territory, which have yielded political dividends to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
The President congratulated the APC national leadership, Kano and Rivers leaderships, and all members of the party on the victories at the polls.
President Tinubu also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and voters for the peaceful and successful conduct of the elections.
He further commended the courage and discipline displayed by all the contestants, stating that democracy is enriched with the vibrancy of participation and competition.
President Tinubu affirmed that the successful conduct of the elections further strengthens democratic culture and institutions and called on INEC to continue improving its efforts to deliver even more exemplary electoral processes.
FCT Polls: Atiku Blames Tinubu For Low Voter Turnout
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern at the low voter turnout recorded in Saturday’s FCT Area Council elections, describing it as a worrying sign for the country’s democracy.
In a statement issued by the Atiku Media Office on Sunday in Abuja, the former vice president said voter participation averaged below 20 per cent across the councils, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recording 7.8 per cent turnout.
He described the development as a “damning verdict” on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, particularly in the nation’s capital.
According to him, the low turnout was not accidental but a reflection of what he termed a shrinking democratic space under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Atiku alleged that the government had fostered an atmosphere of intolerance and intimidation, weakening opposition voices and discouraging citizen participation in the electoral process.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” he said.
He further warned that continued erosion of public confidence in the political system could undermine participatory governance and weaken the country’s democratic institutions.
The former vice president called on opposition parties and other democratic stakeholders to close ranks and work together to safeguard democratic values.
“This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic. The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now,” he stated.
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