APC Candidate Wins AMAC Chairmanship in FCT Elections
Incumbent Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress has secured re-election as chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory’s local government polls, defeating challengers from 15 other parties with a substantial margin in a process hailed for its transparency by observers and agents present.
The Independent National Electoral Commission collation officer for AMAC, Andrew Abue, announced the results on Sunday, stating that Maikalangu polled 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes cast. “That Maikalangu of the APC, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Abue declared. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Paul Ogidi, came second with 12,109 votes, while Dantani Zanda of the Peoples Democratic Party placed third with 3,398. Other contenders included Eze Chukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance with 1,111 votes, Jibrin Alhassan of the New Nigeria Peoples Party with 1,694, Simon Obinna of the Social Democratic Party with 2,185, Richard Elizabeth of the Action Democratic Party with 588, Agbon Vaniah of Accord with 403, Madaki Robert of the Young Progressives Party with 421, Iber Shimakaha of the Peoples Redemption Party with 90, Nemiebika Tamunomiesam of the Action Alliance with 108, Chukwu Promise of the Allied Peoples Movement with 122, Ugoh Michael of the Action Peoples Party with 32, Samson Usani of the National Rescue Movement with 73, Thomas Happiness of the Boot Party with 43, and Swani Buba of the Zenith Labour Party with 189.
Abue detailed the electoral statistics: AMAC had 837,338 registered voters and 65,676 accredited, resulting in 65,197 total votes cast and 2,336 rejected. This yields a turnout of approximately 7.8 percent, aligning with the council’s historical patterns of low urban participation despite robust security and logistical preparations by INEC.
Following the declaration, APC collation agent Gambo Babale commended the process in an interview with journalists. “INEC has done so well. We’ve seen the processes across all the polling units, the ward collation centres and here at AMAC area council collation centre. Everything was done perfectly well. They’ve tried. They’ve done everything humanly possible. I believe this high level of transparency occurred in all the collation’s exercise that took place in AMAC,” Babale said. He noted that the PDP secured two councillorship wards, Karu and Karishi, underscoring the fairness. “PDP won about two ward councillors, Karu and Karishi. That is to tell you the level of transparency that happens in this election,” he added. Babale viewed the outcome as a sign of APC’s readiness for 2027 victories and urged Maikalangu to deliver more democratic dividends to AMAC residents.
Young Progressives Party ward collation agent Abdullahi Ibrahim also affirmed the transparency and congratulated the winner. Result sheets were signed by agents from the ADC, APC, APGA, YPP, and NNPP at the collation centre.
The elections, conducted across six area councils—Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali—involved 570 candidates from 17 parties vying for 68 positions: six chairmanships, six vice-chairmanships, and 62 councillorships. INEC managed 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units, with 1,587,025 Permanent Voter Cards collected by February 10, achieving a 94.4 percent rate. AMAC, the largest with 837,338 registered voters and 1,401 units, deployed Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices throughout, with real-time uploads to the Result Viewing portal for public verification. Security featured 25,000 Nigeria Police Force personnel and 4,000 from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, enforcing movement restrictions from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with exemptions for essentials.
Observers reported a peaceful atmosphere overall, though civil society flagged vote buying in AMAC’s Gidan Mangoro ward at up to N10,000 per vote and BVAS malfunctions in isolated spots. The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room noted late openings averaging 9:15 a.m. due to delayed materials, subdued early turnout in urban AMAC, and accessibility gaps for persons with disabilities, such as absent braille guides in Karimajiji. Eighty-three domestic and five foreign observer groups oversaw the process, with coalitions identifying AMAC as a hotspot for inducements.
AMAC’s electoral history reflects evolving party dominance and persistent apathy. In 2013, the PDP’s Micah Jiba won with 43,903 votes over APC’s Abdullahi Adamu Candido’s 42,109, amid a broader PDP sweep of four councils. By 2016, APC’s Candido triumphed with 27,482 votes against PDP’s Kura Bitrus Tanko’s 21,965, as APC claimed five councils. In 2019, APC retained AMAC, but 2022 saw PDP’s Christopher Zakka Maikalangu secure 19,302 votes over APC’s Murtala Karshi’s 13,249, flipping the seat amid an even council split. Maikalangu, initially elected on PDP but later defecting to APC, now holds the position for the ruling party, highlighting fluid allegiances in FCT politics.
Turnout in AMAC has remained low: 5.09 percent in 2022 among 1,373,492 registered voters, down from 11.5 percent in 2019 and urban dips in 2016 attributed to disillusionment with local governance, security concerns, and perceived minimal impact. Factors like internal squabbles and tribal sentiments shaped 2022 outcomes, with PDP winning 10 of 12 wards including City Centre and Nyanya, while APC took Karshi and Wuse. The 2026 rate of 7.8 percent indicates slight improvement but underscores ongoing challenges, as urban voters prioritized daily activities over polling.