By Gabriel Ameh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of five out of six chairmanship seats in the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the remaining seat in Gwagwalada Area Council.
INEC announced the results on Sunday, following Saturday’s polls held across the six Area Councils Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Kuje.
The elections covered six chairmanship positions and 62 councillorship seats. Observers described the exercise as largely peaceful, although reports of voter intimidation and vote buying surfaced in some locations. Turnout was relatively low in several polling units.
Gwagwalada: PDP Breaks Through
In Gwagwalada, PDP candidate Mohammed Kasim defeated APC’s Yahaya Shehu, polling 22,165 votes against 17,788.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secured 1,687 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) polled 1,366 votes.
Returning Officer Philip Akpen declared Kasim duly elected, stating that he met the legal requirements. Total valid votes stood at about 43,960, with 1,521 rejected ballots.
AMAC: APC Retains Seat
In AMAC, incumbent Christopher Zakka Maikalangu of the APC was re-elected with 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes cast.
ADC’s Moses Paul came second with 12,109 votes, followed by PDP with 3,398 votes, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with 2,185 votes and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with 1,694 votes.
Collation Officer Andrew Abue announced that Maikalangu satisfied all legal requirements.
APC Dominates Other Councils
The APC also recorded victories in Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje.
In Abaji, Umar Abdullahi Abubakar (APC) polled 15,536 votes to defeat PDP’s 4,547 votes. ADC secured 37 votes.
In Bwari, APC’s Joshua Ishaku won with 18,466 votes, ahead of ADC (4,254) and ZLP (3,515).
In Kwali, APC’s Nuhu Daniel secured 17,032 votes, defeating PDP’s Haruna Pai, who polled 8,575 votes.
In Kuje, Danjuma Shekwolo Samuel of the APC won with 17,269 votes. The PDP had earlier raised concerns about delays in results from two wards, but Returning Officer Prof. Nkiruka Odoh confirmed that the APC candidate met constitutional requirements and was duly returned elected.
What the Results Indicate
The outcome reinforces the APC’s dominance in the FCT’s grassroots political structure, while the PDP’s victory in Gwagwalada signals a modest but significant opposition foothold in the territory.
Attention now shifts to how the newly elected chairpersons will address local governance priorities, including infrastructure, primary healthcare, sanitation and community security.
