The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have traded words over the outcome of the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, offering sharply contrasting interpretations of the results.
The disagreement followed the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which announced the APC as winner in five of the six chairmanship seats, while the PDP secured one.
APC: Outcome Reflects Voters’ Will
APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka described the results as a true reflection of the electorate’s choice.
“The fact is that an election was called and Nigerians who were eligible to vote went out to cast their ballots, and the authority empowered to regulate, conduct and monitor the election did so and declared the results in favour of the APC. The votes were collated and counted, and every requirement was met. The APC won the majority of the councils in the FCT,” he said.
Morka added that the ruling party’s performance was not unexpected, arguing that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has generated positive public sentiment.
“The APC is the ruling party, and President Bola Tinubu is doing a fantastic job. The economic indicators are strengthening and moving at a pace many did not expect,” he stated.
PDP: Process Flawed, Turnout Low
Meanwhile, PDP National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong criticised the conduct of the election, citing low voter turnout and alleged irregularities.
“This is the first election testing the new Electoral Act, and it reinforces our concerns about voter apathy. In many polling units, you saw only a handful of voters, while in others no one voted because people believed their votes would not count,” he said.
He questioned delays in result collation, particularly in Kuje Area Council.
“How could an election that ended in the afternoon only have results available the following day? That clearly shows why real-time electronic transmission is important,” he added.
Ememobong insisted the PDP was not reacting out of bitterness but out of concern for electoral integrity.
“We are not sore losers. The contests were largely between the PDP and APC, but many things went wrong, including the movement restriction before the election, which stakeholders said was unnecessary,” he said, signalling the possibility of legal action.
Debate Over Wike’s Presence
The role of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike also drew attention during the discussion.
Morka defended Wike’s participation, saying: “Mr Wike is a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who enjoys the constitutional freedom to participate in democracy, hold opinions and express them. It is about his personal views and actions within the law. We should not overthink it.”
On allegations of anti-party activity, he added that the matter was for the PDP to address internally.
However, Ememobong criticised the minister’s visible presence at polling areas.
“The minister is not a voter in the FCT, yet he was on parade with a crowd. That alone could compromise the integrity of the election. There are many issues we need to fix,” he said.
Election Overview
The FCT Area Council elections were held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, to elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across the territory.
INEC declared the APC winner in AMAC, Bwari, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji, while the PDP won Gwagwalada. Observers reported generally peaceful voting but noted low turnout.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu congratulated the winners in the FCT, as well as successful candidates in the Rivers and Kano by-elections, commending voters for participating in the democratic process.
In a contrasting reaction, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the conduct of the FCT polls, warning that democracy is “under siege” and accusing the Tinubu administration of stifling democratic norms.
