On Saturday, February 21, 2026, residents of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja went to the polls to elect new council chairmen in the six area councils.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that poor turnout of voters almost marred the election as less than 10% of registered voters came out to express their franchise.
However, even with such abysmal low turn out, All Progressives Congress, APC clinched five out of six council areas.
According to the result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC opposition parties performed very poorly in the said election.
Gwagwalada Area Council (PDP)
According to INEC while declaring the result the PDP candidate, Mohammed Kasim, won Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election.
The Returning Officer from INEC, Philip Akpen, announced the result on Sunday, 22 February.
Mr. Akpen 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.
The number of registered voters was 207,577; while those accredited to vote were 46,294.
The total valid votes were 43,960 while rejected votes were 1,521.
Abuja Municipal Area Council (APC)
At Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC Christopher Maikalangu of the APC was declared elected chairman. 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 also declared Joshua Ishaku of the APC the winner of the Bwari Area Council chairmanship election.
According to the electoral umpire, 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)
However, APC’s Daniel Nuhu won the Kwali Area Council chairmanship election with 16,656 votes.
Declaring the result, INEC announced that 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)
In the same vein, Umar Abdullahi of the APC also won the chairmanship election for Abaji Area Council.
He polled 15,535 to defeat his·PDP rival candidate who scored 4,547.
Kuje Area Council
Finally, 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 People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 15,824 votes.
Reactions trail the polls
In any case, since the results of the elections were announced by the INEC, mixed reactions have continued to greet the elections.
While many notable Nigerians see the election as a true reflection of people’s choice, others see it as a charade and laced with electoral manipulation.
Southern Governors’ Forum hails Tinubu, APC
The Southern Governors’ Forum has extolled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the election, calling it a true reflection of true democracy in the country.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State governor and chairman of the forum on Sunday, Prince Dapo Abiodun described APC’s strong performance as an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also reacting to the landslide victory, chairman of APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda has congratulates President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC candidates in the elections for the great outing.
Prof. Yilwatda said the party’s superlative performance at the polls is a precursor to its impending victory in the 2027 general election.
In his words, “No doubt, the outcome of the area council polls at the FCT has shown clearly that Nigerians are fully aligned with President Bola Tinubu and the APC, and will again demonstrate this during the 2027 general election.
“The vast majority of Nigerians know that with APC at the helm of affairs, Nigeria’s future is in safe hands.
“I congratulate President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of our great party, the APC, on this remarkable outing, which is a pointer to our victory in 2027.
“I heartily congratulate our teeming supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, and Rivers States on the successful, peaceful and credible conduct of the Saturday, 21st February 2026 polls. The victories recorded by our great party are a clear testament to the resilience, unity and grassroots strength of the APC,” the statement read.
Turaki-led PDP Congratulates party’s successful candidates, alleges intimidation
However, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, congratulated successful candidates of the elections.
According to the national public secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, PDP said the victory, though less than expected is worthwhile.
PDP also alleged unprecedented intimidation and high-powered money politics and brazen executive brigandage, blaming it on the low performance.
“Reports and video evidence abound where armed security personnel were used to cart away result sheets in polling units, intimidate voters, and unduly influence the outcome of the elections.
“We specifically congratulate the chairman-elect of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kasim, and the Councillors who have been declared successful by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We have set up a special Legal Team, headed by the National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, esq, to attend to candidates who have genuine complaints arising from these elections and to assist with post-election litigations. They should immediately contact the National Legal Adviser for prompt action, as delay is fatal in election petition cases.”
Civil Society Organisations allege lack of transparency in the election
According to Yiaga Africa there were violent disruptions, delays, security lapses and the relocation of collation processes which exposed weaknesses that threaten the integrity of results management.
Explaining further, the pro-democracy group disclosed that ward collation commenced between 4.00 pm and 6.00 pm in 66 per cent of the collation centres observed; an additional 10 per cent began between 6.00 pm and 9.00 pm, while 3 per cent commenced between 9.00 pm and midnight.
“In Kuje Central and Kabi wards of Kuje Area Council, collation did not begin until the following morning. The primary causes of delay included late arrival of materials from polling units, absence of collation officials at designated times, logistical failures in transporting sensitive materials, and reported intimidation of officials by political thugs, which caused officers to await security escorts,” it said.
On transparency and the posting of results, Yiaga Africa stated: “In 80 per cent of the ward collation centres observed, collation officers completed and publicly displayed the Notice of Results Poster (Form EC60E) for the chairmanship election.
“In 95 per cent of ward collation centres that commenced collation, party agents were requested to countersign the result forms. ADC agents countersigned in 88 per cent of centres observed, APC agents in 93 per cent, PDP agents in 91 per cent, and SDP agents in 59 per cent of centres.”
The group observed that copies of Form EC8B were distributed in 100 per cent of the ward collation centres observed; however, disagreements with the declared results were recorded in 2 per cent of the centres.
The organisation however, commended INEC officials in several wards for displaying courage and professionalism in carrying out their duties despite intimidation and attacks.
It also praised vigilant citizens in affected wards for defending their mandate by insisting on compliance with established procedures and resisting attempts by political thugs to disrupt the collation of results.
“These critical incidents have significant implications for electoral integrity. Disruptions, intimidation and the relocation of collation processes undermine the collation of election results and increase the risk of manipulation or tampering.
“They also raise legitimate concerns about the effectiveness of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and the impact of the extensive deployment of security personnel during the elections. When result sheets are removed, collation is interrupted, or proceedings move to undisclosed or less accessible locations, transparency declines and observer oversight weakens.
“The use of force, destruction of property and evacuation of officials and observers further diminish public confidence in the credibility of the process. Even when results are finalised, procedural shortcomings erode trust in the impartiality, security and reliability of results management, especially at the ward collation stage, which remains the weakest link in the results value chain,” the statement read in part.
Atiku Abubakar on the FCT council polls
The former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has also reacted to the elections in the FCT polls.
In a statement posted by his media aide Paul Ibe on X, the presidential candidate of PDP described the turnout — which averaged below 20 per cent, with Abuja Municipal Area Council recording a figure of 7.8 per cent — as a disturbing verdict on the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” Atiku stated. “What we are witnessing is not mere voter apathy. It is a direct consequence of an administration that governs with a chokehold on pluralism. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated — slowly, steadily, and dangerously.”
Atiku warned that such ugly situation if not checked, could inflict irredeemable damage on democracy in the country.
“A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this chokehold is not released, history will record this era as the period when our hard-won freedoms were traded for fear and conformity,” he added.
He called on the position parties in the country to join hands to forge one big force.
“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.
