The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have shared victories in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections.
Christopher Maikalangu of the APC was declared winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship poll after securing 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid ballots cast.
Andrew Abue, AMAC collation officer, announced that Maikalangu, the incumbent chairman, met all legal requirements to be returned elected. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the PDP polled 3,398 votes.
Speaking in an interview with journalists immediately after the announcement of results, the APC Collation Agent, Gambo Babale, described the election and collation process as credible.
“INEC have done so well. We’ve seen the processes across all the polling units, the ward coalition centres and here at AMAC area council coalition centre. Everything was done perfectly well.
“They’ve tried. They’ve done everything humanly possible. I believe this high level of transparency occurred in all the coalition exercises that took place in AMAC.
“PDP won about two ward councillors, Karu and Karishi. That is to tell you the level of transparency that happens in this election,” he said.
While congratulating the winner, he said the victory was for Mr Maikalangu to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of AMAC.
Mr Babale said that the results were an indication that the APC was ready for victory in 2025.
The YPP Ward Collation Agent, Abdullahi Ibrahim, also described the collation process as transparent, while congratulating the winner.
The result sheets were signed by the ADC, APC, APGA, YPP and NNPP party agents present at the collation centre.
In Gwagwalada Area Council, INEC declared PDP candidate Kasim Mohammed chairman-elect after he scored 22,165 votes to defeat APC’s Yahaya Shehu, who garnered 17,788 votes.
Philip Akpen, returning officer, described the election as “peaceful and smooth,” despite reports of voter intimidation and allegations of vote-buying in some polling units.
The results reflect a split outcome in the FCT council polls, with both major parties claiming strategic victories.
The PDP’s victory was built on strong performances across key wards, reflecting the party’s sustained grassroots mobilisation in the area.
Although reports of voter intimidation and allegations of vote-buying emerged in some polling units, INEC maintained that the final outcome reflected the will of the electorate.
Following the declaration, jubilant supporters of PDP took to the streets of Gwagwalada in celebration, as political attention shifts to the opposition’s next move after the FCT polls.