Daniel Otera
The Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer for the forthcoming area council elections scheduled for 2026. His emergence follows the party’s primary election held in Abuja on Wednesday, where he secured 51 delegate votes.
The AMAC Electoral Committee Chairman, Habib Ibrahim, who announced the outcome, urged other aspirants to accept the results in good faith and work in unity to strengthen the party ahead of the general elections.
Maikalangu’s nomination marks a significant phase in AMAC’s political realignment, coming barely two months after his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC. His move, formalised on 14 April 2025, was presented as an effort to align the council with the “centre of power” and improve access to federal opportunities for AMAC residents.
Speaking at the time of his defection, Maikalangu stated that the decision was driven by the perceived positive impact of the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the leadership of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He cited federal appointments and developmental projects as indicators of renewed hope in the FCT.
“Joining the APC is in the best interest of AMAC residents,” he declared during his formal welcome to the party. “We have already felt the positive impact through federal appointments given to sons and daughters of the FCT and through projects championed by the Tinubu-led administration.”
At Wednesday’s primaries, Maikalangu thanked party delegates for their votes and expressed appreciation for the support received from stakeholders.
He extended a hand of cooperation to fellow aspirants, calling for collective efforts in pursuit of party unity and improved service delivery to residents of the area council.
The Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo, who also serves as the APC leader in the FCT, publicly congratulated Maikalangu on his victory, urging other contenders to rally behind the flagbearer in preparation for the elections.
Maikalangu’s emergence as APC candidate represents more than a personal political achievement; it reflects a strategic recalibration within FCT’s local political landscape. The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is not only the largest of the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory, but also the most politically strategic. Its control often signals wider shifts in party dominance across the capital.
According to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), AMAC accounted for over 687,000 registered voters during the 2022 area council election, making it a critical electoral base in the territory. The figure positions AMAC as a decisive battleground for any party seeking to consolidate power within the FCT’s evolving political terrain. Source: INEC Area Council Voter Statistics 2022.
Historically, political control in AMAC has alternated between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), shaped largely by voter dynamics between urban neighbourhoods and rural satellite communities. Outcomes in the area council are often influenced by federal sentiments, socio-economic factors, and perceived alignment with the centre of power.While Maikalangu’s defection to the APC was framed as a strategy to attract development through alignment with federal power, the realities on the ground in AMAC’s satellite towns reveal persistent gaps in service delivery. Communities such as Mpape, Gwagwa, Karmo, and Karshi continue to grapple with infrastructural challenges, despite the council’s political repositioning.
Multiple investigations and media reports have documented the difficult living conditions in these areas. According to Daily Trust, sanitation in several AMAC suburbs remains a concern, with refuse often dumped in open spaces due to the absence of regulated waste disposal systems. Similarly, The ICIR has reported on the accumulation of garbage in neighbourhoods like Nyanya and Karshi, highlighting the health risks posed by inadequate waste management.
Further findings by National Record describe many satellite communities within AMAC as “glorified shantytowns” plagued by unpaved roads, limited access to potable water, overstretched primary schools, and insufficient health facilities. Despite AMAC receiving some of the highest federal allocations within the FCT, the developmental impact in marginalised communities remains modest.
A Blueprint report also notes that less than 20 percent of FCT residents live in the well-serviced city centre, with the majority enduring high costs for basic services such as water and transportation in poorly planned satellite towns. Mpape, in particular, continues to suffer from overcrowding and environmental hazards, with residents exposed to waterborne diseases due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure.
As the 2026 election approaches, these lingering challenges may shape voter sentiment more than party realignment. While political affiliation can influence access to federal projects, long-term credibility is likely to rest on the delivery of tangible improvements in everyday living conditions.