The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have exchanged sharp words over the outcome of the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, offering contrasting interpretations of the results.
The dispute follows the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared the APC winner in five of the six chairmanship seats contested, with the PDP securing one.
Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka described the outcome as a straightforward reflection of voters’ choices.
“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 argued that the ruling party’s performance was unsurprising, crediting the administration of Bola Tinubu for generating 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.
Process Flawed, Turnout Poor
Also appearing on the programme, PDP spokesman Ini Ememobong suggested opposition parties might adopt a joint stance ahead of future polls and hinted at possible legal action over alleged irregularities.
Ememobong criticised the conduct of the election, pointing to low voter turnout and logistical shortcomings.
“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 the 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 rejecting the outcome out of resentment but due to concerns about 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 stated.
Wike’s Role
Responding to questions about the presence of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at polling units despite being a PDP member, Morka defended his participation.
“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,” he said.
On allegations of anti-party conduct, he added, “That question should be directed to the PDP. How they handle their members is within their domain.”
Ememobong, however, criticised the minister’s visible presence at polling centres, arguing that it could undermine confidence in the process.
“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 Results and Reactions
The FCT Area Council elections were held on Saturday, 21 February 2026, to elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across the territory’s six area councils.
INEC declared the APC victorious in AMAC, Bwari, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji, while the PDP won in Gwagwalada.
The poll was conducted under the amended Electoral Act, with observers noting generally low turnout despite a largely peaceful voting process.
President Tinubu congratulated the winners of the FCT Area Council elections as well as successful candidates in the Rivers and Kano by-elections, commending voters for participating in the democratic process.
In contrast, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar criticised the conduct of the FCT polls, warning that democracy is “under siege” and accusing the Tinubu administration of undermining democratic norms.