The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared its intention to challenge the outcomes of the February 21, 2026, Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through the courts, citing alleged widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and manipulation during the process.
In a statement released on February 22, 2026, and signed by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP described the elections as heavily compromised by what it termed "unprecedented intimidation, high-powered money politics, and brazen executive brigandage." The party claimed to possess visual records, including video evidence, showing armed security personnel allegedly carting away result sheets from polling units, intimidating voters, and influencing results in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP has constituted a special legal team to manage all election-related petitions arising from the polls. This team is headed by the party's National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, and is tasked with coordinating complaints and litigations. The statement urged dissatisfied PDP candidates and supporters to promptly contact the legal team, warning that any delays could jeopardize their cases at the election tribunals.
The elections covered the six Area Councils in the FCT: Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali. Over 1.68 million registered voters were eligible across approximately 2,822 polling units, but the process was marked by notably low voter turnout, which the PDP attributed to public distrust in the electoral system, particularly under the Electoral Act 2026. The party argued that this apathy reflects a broader erosion of confidence in electoral outcomes and warned that without urgent reforms, similar issues could foreshadow challenges in the 2027 general elections.
Results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed the APC securing victories in five of the six chairmanship positions: Abaji, AMAC (where incumbent Christopher Maikalangu was re-elected), Bwari, Kwali, and reportedly Kuje (with collation ongoing or recently completed in some reports). The PDP's sole success came in Gwagwalada, where its candidate, Mohammed Kasim, polled 22,165 votes to defeat Yahaya Shehu of the APC, who received 17,788 votes. Other parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and smaller ones, recorded significantly lower tallies in that council.
The PDP specifically congratulated Mohammed Kasim and the successful PDP councillors in Gwagwalada, describing the win as "particularly gladdening" given the alleged adverse conditions. However, the party maintained that the overall results fell short of expectations and insisted that PDP mandates were undermined in other councils through interference.
Accusations in the PDP statement focused on the role of security agencies and unnamed actors in disrupting the process. The party highlighted reports of result sheets being removed under duress and voters being intimidated, claims it said were supported by available footage and eyewitness accounts. These allegations align with broader concerns raised by observers about logistical issues, including last-minute changes to polling units, a curfew in parts of the FCT, and general voter disengagement.
The PDP called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to intervene swiftly by reviewing and reforming the Electoral Act 2026 to restore faith in the democratic process. It emphasized that protecting future elections requires addressing these systemic issues to prevent further public disillusionment.
The development comes amid ongoing political dynamics in the FCT, where Minister Nyesom Wike's influence has been credited with bolstering APC performance through infrastructural projects and strategic alliances. Prior to the polls, some PDP candidates, including in Bwari, stepped down in support of APC rivals following consultations linked to Wike, a move the PDP leadership condemned as anti-democratic.
INEC has not yet publicly responded to the PDP's specific allegations, though the commission previously described the elections as largely peaceful despite challenges like low turnout and isolated incidents. Election monitoring groups have noted areas for improvement in voter education and logistics but commended the overall conduct in many units.
The PDP's move to litigate underscores the high stakes of local governance in the FCT, where Area Councils handle critical services such as waste management, primary education, and local infrastructure. Outcomes from any tribunal proceedings could influence perceptions of electoral credibility ahead of national polls in 2027.
As the legal process unfolds, attention will remain on whether the PDP's evidence substantiates claims of systemic manipulation or if INEC's declarations hold firm. The case highlights persistent tensions between Nigeria's ruling and opposition parties over the integrity of democratic exercises.
