The All Progressives Congress recorded a dominant outing in the 2026 Federal Capital Territory area council elections, securing five of the six chairmanship positions across the territory.
The Peoples Democratic Party clinched the remaining council, while the ruling party also recorded additional victories in by-elections held in Kano and Rivers states.
The Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the council elections in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji, Gwagwalada and Kuje, marking a significant local government poll in the capital.
In AMAC, the incumbent chairman, Christopher Maikalangu of the APC, was returned elected after polling 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes cast.
The Collation Officer for AMAC, Prof. Andrew Abue, said the African Democratic Congress scored 12,109 votes while the PDP polled 3,398 votes.
He added that 2,336 votes were rejected, total votes cast stood at 65,197, and accredited voters were 65,676 out of 837,338 registered voters.
In Bwari, Joshua Ishaku of the APC secured victory with 18,466 votes, defeating candidates of the ADC and the Zenith Labour Party.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, declared Ishaku winner, stating, “That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
In Kwali, Daniel Nuhu of the APC won with 17,032 votes, while his closest rival from the PDP polled 8,575 votes.
In Abaji, Umar Abdullahi Abubakar of the APC emerged victorious with 15,535 votes, defeating candidates of the YPP, PDP, NNPP and ADC.
The PDP secured the Gwagwalada chairmanship seat, while the result of Kuje was pending at the time of reporting.
Beyond the FCT, the APC also won the by-elections conducted in Kano State House of Assembly constituencies of Ungogo and Kano Municipal.
The contests followed the death of the former lawmakers representing the constituencies, Aminu Sa’ad and Aliyu Daneji.
In Ungogo, Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad of the APC polled 8,975 votes to defeat the ADP candidate who scored 54 votes.
In Kano Municipal, Aliyu Nabil Daneji won with 7,484 votes, while the PRP candidate scored 105 votes.
The Returning Officers in both constituencies declared the APC candidates elected after satisfying the legal requirements.
A spokesman of the Kwankwassiya movement, Habibu Mohammed, explained that the NNPP did not present candidates for the by-elections after reaching an understanding that the sons of the deceased lawmakers would contest.
In Rivers State, the APC also won the by-election conducted for a vacant seat, further strengthening its electoral showing across the states.
However, the PDP alleged irregularities and intimidation during the FCT polls and announced plans to challenge the outcomes in court.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said, “This victory, though less in number than we anticipated, is particularly gladdening because it is against the background of unprecedented intimidation, high-powered money politics and brazen executive brigandage.”
The party said it had set up a legal team led by its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, to pursue post-election petitions.
Civil society observers, including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and the Transition Monitoring Group, expressed concern over voter turnout and operational challenges during the elections.
The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the polls were largely peaceful but recorded logistical shortcomings and low participation.
Observers also raised concerns about accessibility gaps affecting persons with disabilities during voting.
The president, Bola Tinubu, congratulated the winners and commended the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as impactful governance in the territory.
A statement by the president’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the minister’s work had contributed to the APC’s electoral success in the capital.
The minister, Nyesom Wike, said the outcome of the election reflected voter confidence in the ruling party’s leadership and policies.
The national chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, described the results as an endorsement of ongoing reforms and the party’s grassroots strength.
He said the outcome in Abuja and other states demonstrated public support for the administration’s policy direction and development agenda.
Analysts note that the APC’s performance in the FCT councils, along with victories in Kano and Rivers, signals growing electoral strength ahead of the next general election cycle.
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