The Peoples Democratic Party has formed a specialized legal committee to address disputes emerging from the Federal Capital Territory’s area council elections held on February 21, 2026, as it celebrates its victors while raising concerns over alleged manipulations that undermined the process across the six councils.
In a statement released Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP commended its successful candidates, particularly highlighting the chairmanship win in Gwagwalada. “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),” Ememobong stated. He described the outcomes as encouraging despite falling short of expectations, attributing this to external pressures. “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 statement added.
Ememobong pointed to documented irregularities, including instances captured on video. “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,” he noted. To tackle these issues, the party appointed its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, Esq., to lead the legal team handling petitions. Candidates with valid complaints were advised to reach out immediately, as Ememobong warned that “delays could jeopardize their chances in election petition cases.”
Official results from INEC, as compiled from announcements, indicate the All Progressives Congress secured victories in Abaji, Kwali, Abuja Municipal Area Council, and Bwari, while the PDP triumphed in Gwagwalada. The status of Kuje remained unclear in initial declarations, with full councillorship breakdowns pending. The elections involved 570 candidates from 17 parties contesting 68 positions: six chairmanships, six vice-chairmanships, and 62 councillorships across 2,822 polling units serving 1,680,315 registered voters, of whom 1,587,025 collected Permanent Voter Cards by February 10, achieving a 94.4 percent collection rate.
The PDP linked widespread voter apathy to flaws in the Electoral Act 2026, which they labeled anti-people and eroding public trust. “The incredible voter apathy in these polls is a direct response to the anti-people Electoral Act 2026, where the people have completely lost faith in the electoral outcomes from elections conducted under this Act,” the statement asserted. It further cautioned that “these Local Council polls may just be a foreshadowing of the forthcoming general elections in 2027 if changes are not urgently made,” urging the National Assembly and President to intervene for democratic integrity.
Civil society reports corroborated some claims, with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room documenting vote buying up to N10,000 in AMAC’s Gidan Mangoro ward and isolated intimidations swiftly addressed by security. Overall turnout remained low, echoing historical trends: 9 percent average in 2022, with AMAC at 5.09 percent among 1,373,492 registered voters, and higher in rural Abaji at 18.08 percent. Factors include disillusionment with local governance, security fears, and perceived electoral flaws, as seen in 2019’s 11.5 percent in AMAC and 19.7 percent in Bwari.
The PDP’s electoral fortunes in the FCT have fluctuated since the early 2010s. In 2013, the party dominated four councils, including AMAC, Bwari, Kuje, and Kwali, amid a national stronghold under President Goodluck Jonathan. By 2016, the APC surged to five wins, with APGA taking Gwagwalada, reflecting the APC’s rise post-2015 federal victory. The 2019 results saw APC retain AMAC, Gwagwalada, and Kwali, with PDP securing Kuje. In 2022, an even split occurred: PDP in AMAC, Bwari, and Kuje; APC in Gwagwalada, Kwali, and Abaji. This year’s outcomes, with PDP limited to Gwagwalada, mark a setback, prompting the legal push amid broader opposition critiques of the Electoral Act 2026, enacted to address 2022 amendments but criticized for enabling manipulations through ambiguous BVAS provisions and extended timelines for petitions.
Past FCT petitions have yielded mixed results; in 2022, courts upheld most INEC declarations despite PDP challenges in AMAC over alleged over-voting, while a 2019 Gwagwalada case saw a tribunal order a rerun in two wards due to irregularities. The PDP’s move aligns with its history of robust legal responses, as in the 2019 presidential petition where it contested Muhammadu Buhari’s victory up to the Supreme Court. As tribunals convene within the 180-day limit under the Electoral Act, the party’s team faces tight deadlines, with outcomes potentially reshaping local governance before 2027.
