…..Why APC, sons of deceased lawmakers won Kano Assembly seats in bye-election
….PDP alleges intimidation, sets up legal team
….CISLAC, TMG flag voter apathy, irregularities
….Tinubu to Wike: Your achievements ‘ve yielded political dividends to APC
….Congratulates winners of elections in FCT, Kano, Rivers
…..Polls, clear endorsement of Tinubu’s reforms, says APC national chair
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Bashir Bello, Omeiza Ajayi, Gabriel Ewepu & Luminous Jannamike
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has won five of the six chairmanship seats in the area council election in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won the remaining one.
The party also won the two House of Assembly bye-elections by sons of the two dead members of the legislature in Kano; and equally won the by-election in Rivers State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducted elections in the six area councils in the nation’s capital, including AMAC, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji, Gwagwalada and Kuje.
In AMAC, Christopher Maikalangu was reelected
The Collation Officer for AMAC, Prof. Andrew Abue, said Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected, having scored the highest number of votes cast, 40,295 out of the total number of Valid Votes of 62,861 in the election.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, polled 3,398 votes.
According to Abue, the rejected votes are 2,336; total valid votes 62,861, while the total vote cast is 65,197.
He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.
In Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election, Joshua Ishaku of the APC was declared winner. Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, the Returning Officer for Bwari chairmanship election, who announced the results in Bwari yesterday, disclosed that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes.
“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026.
“That Joshua Ishaku,, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” he said.
Nurudeen also said the candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, scored a total of 4254 votes, while that of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, scored 3515 to come second and third places respectively.
The chairmanship election was conducted in 10 wards of the council, namely; Igu, Shere, Dutse, Ushafa, Byazhin, Kuduru, Kubwa, Usuma, Bwari central and Kawu.
In Kwali Area Council, Daniel Nuhu of the APC won the chairmanship seat with 17,032 votes.
Nuhu’s closest rival, Haruna Pai of the PDP polled a total of 8,575 votes to come second in the election. In Abaji Area Council, Umar Abdullahi Abubakar of the APC was declared winner.
According to results announced yesterday by INEC Presiding Officer, Abubakar polled a total of 15,535 votes to defeat his closest rival from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) who secured 5,357 votes.
PDP trailed with 4,547 votes, followed by the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, with 53 votes, and African Democratic Congress, ADC, with 37 votes.
So far, the APC has won in Bwari, AMAC, Abaji, and Kwali, while the PDP has won in Gwagwalada.
The result of Kuje is expected to be released any moment from now.
Why APC, sons of deceased lawmakers won Kano Assembly seats in by-election
In Kano, the All Progressive Congress, APC, also won Saturday’s by-election to fill the vacuum seats of Ungogo and Kano Municipal constituencies in Kano State House of Assembly.
Recall that the seats became vacant, following the sudden death of the two lawmakers representing Ungogo Constituency, Aminu Sa’ad, and Kano Municipal Constituency, KMC, Sarki Aliyu Daneji on the same day.
The son’s of the deceased lawmakers, Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad (Ungogo) and Aliyu Nabil Daneji (Kano Municipal) emerged winners after landslide victory against their opponents.
Announcing the result for Ungogo LGA, the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Ali Tijjani Abdullahi, declared the APC candidate, Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad, winner at the election after polling 8,975 votes against his closest rival from the ADP, Shua’ibu Hashimu who scored 54 votes.
“That Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Prof. Abdullahi said.
Similarly, in Kano Municipal, the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Ibrahim Tajo Siraj, declared Daneji as the winner of the election. Prof. Siraj said Daneji won with 7,484 votes against his closest rival from the PRP, Shehu Ishaq Abdullahi, who scored 105 votes. That Aliyu Nabil Daneji of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Prof. Siraj said.
Explaining why APC won the Kano bye-election, spokesman of the Kwankwassiya movement, Habibu Mohammed, said the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, didn’t submit names of candidates for the by-election to fill the two vacant seats in Kano State House of Assembly because the party, under the leadership of Rabiu Kwankwaso already agreed that the sons of the dead lawmakers be allowed to contest the election, even though they had crossed over to APC with the governor.
PDP alleges intimidation, sets up legal team
Meanwhile, the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee, NWC, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday alleged intimidation and manipulation in last Saturday’s area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. The party also announced a special legal team to handle petitions in protest against the conduct of the election.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party congratulated its successful candidates but said the victories came under difficult and questionable conditions.
“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.
The PDP specifically congratulated Gwagwalada Chairman-elect Mohammed Kasim and councillors declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“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,” it added.
The party announced the constitution of a special legal team, headed by its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, to assist candidates pursuing post-election litigation.
CISLAC, TMG flag voter apathy, irregularities
Reacting yesterday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, and the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, expressed concern over low voter turnout, logistical shortcomings and alleged political interference in elections held in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Kano and Rivers states.
In a statement by Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of CISLAC and Chairman of TMG, the groups said although the polls were largely peaceful in many areas, significant operational and structural challenges were recorded across the affected states.
They warned that declining public participation signalled eroding trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
They described the trend as a serious threat to democratic governance.
Observers from TAF Africa, formerly known as The Albino Foundation, alongside the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, also flagged accessibility gaps affecting persons with disabilities.
Your achievements ‘ve yielded political dividends to APC, Tinubu lauds Wike
Also yesterday President Bola Tinubu commended the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, for his remarkable achievements in the territory, saying it had given victory to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The President also congratulated the winners of Saturday’s elections in the FCT and the states of Kano and Rivers.
Tinubu in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, urged the winners to serve with humility, patriotism, and dedication and view the mandate given to them by the people as a sacred trust.
“He commends the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his remarkable achievements in the territory, which have yielded political dividends to the governing All Progressives Congress, APC,” the statement read.
Voters have rejected ‘emergency democrats’ – Wike
On his part, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, declared that the just-concluded Area Council elections have effectively separated the nation’s true political players from “roadside” pretenders who patronise corn sellers before the cameras.
In an assessment of Saturday polls, the minister maintained that the voting patterns across the territory have clearly defined the difference between the ruling party and the genuine opposition in Nigeria’s evolving democracy.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the minister, Lere Olayinka,yesterday said the minister made the assessment in a special national broadcast monitored yesterday evening.
FCT polls, clear endorsement of Tinubu’s reforms, says APC national chair
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress APC, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has described the outcome of the weekend elections in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Kano and Rivers States as a resounding endorsement of the ongoing reforms of President Bola Tinubu.
The party chief maintained that the overwhelming support recorded by the APC reflected the confidence of Nigerians in the “Renewed Hope Agenda” and their belief that current reforms would lead the country to its desired destination.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy, Mr Abimbola Tooki, the party leader noted that the victories recorded were a testament to the resilience, unity, and grassroots strength of the APC.
“The Abuja election, in particular, is a powerful statement by Nigerians from all walks of life that they stand firmly with President Tinubu and his bold reform agenda,” the chairman stated.
He added that the verdict from residents of the nation’s capital sent a strong message of widespread support and confidence in the administration’s ability to reposition Nigeria for sustainable growth and prosperity.
The chairman extended his congratulations to the five APC chairmanship candidates who emerged victorious in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Kuje, Abaji, Bwari, and Kwali.
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