On Saturday, residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will head to the polls to elect chairpersons and councillors who will oversee local governance for the next four years.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 1,680,415 registered voters across 62 wards are expected to participate.
A total of 637 candidates from 17 political parties are contesting 68 positions—62 councillors and six area council chairmanships. Voting will take place in 2,822 polling units, supported by 4,345 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
Two incumbents are seeking re-election: Abubakar Abdullahi of Abaji Area Council and Christopher Maikalangu of AMAC, both representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).
2026 FCT Polls: Wike, voter apathy, and the battle for local power
Kunle Sanni, Abuja3 days ago
3 minutes read
On Saturday, residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will head to the polls to elect chairpersons and councillors who will oversee local governance for the next four years.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 1,680,415 registered voters across 62 wards are expected to participate.
A total of 637 candidates from 17 political parties are contesting 68 positions—62 councillors and six area council chairmanships. Voting will take place in 2,822 polling units, supported by 4,345 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
Two incumbents are seeking re-election: Abubakar Abdullahi of Abaji Area Council and Christopher Maikalangu of AMAC, both representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Idris, described the exercise as a critical constitutional requirement in the Commission’s preparations for the election.
The 637 candidates are contesting for a total of 68 positions—comprising 62 councillors and six area council chairmanship offices covering Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
Testing Amupitan’s delivery
Like other local elections in Nigeria, the FCT council election would be conducted by INEC.
For Professor Joash Amupitan, the FCT Area Council elections represent more than a routine local poll. They are the first test of his leadership since his appointment as chairman of the electoral commission by President Bola Tinubu in October 2025.
As a senior lawyer and university don, Amupitan faces the task of steering by ensuring the commission conducts a credible and transparent election.
Observers say the test of his leadership will hinge on logistics and deployment of sensitive materials, areas that have historically caused delays. Success here could set the tone for INEC’s management of the 2027 general elections, including the presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state assembly polls.
Wike’s Show of Political Muscle
Ahead of the polls, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has emerged as a decisive political actor. Campaigning for candidates aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision, Wike has openly backed the APC slate despite being a PDP member, stating he “owes no apology” for influencing voter choices.
This is about ensuring candidates who support President Tinubu win, and those who don’t are held accountable at the polls,” Wike said.
His influence is evident in recent developments: in AMAC, PDP candidate Zadna Dantani withdrew in favor of incumbent APC candidate Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, while in Bwari, PDP contender Julius Adamu stepped aside for APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa.
These withdrawals highlight Wike’s growing political footprint and signal a realignment of alliances ahead of the elections.
2026 FCT Polls: Wike, voter apathy, and the battle for local power
Kunle Sanni, Abuja3 days ago
3 minutes read
On Saturday, residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will head to the polls to elect chairpersons and councillors who will oversee local governance for the next four years.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 1,680,415 registered voters across 62 wards are expected to participate.
A total of 637 candidates from 17 political parties are contesting 68 positions—62 councillors and six area council chairmanships. Voting will take place in 2,822 polling units, supported by 4,345 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
Two incumbents are seeking re-election: Abubakar Abdullahi of Abaji Area Council and Christopher Maikalangu of AMAC, both representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Related Articles
- Bamigbetan joins Oshodi-Isolo II reps race, supports 100 students with JAMB forms1 hour ago
- Opposition voices silenced, democracy at risk — Atiku speaks on FCT elections6 hours ago
- Aregbesola’s political structure weakened after my exit- former Osun SSG, Adeoti12 hours ago
- Kwara businessman Araba Femi hails APC victory in FCT Area Council elections12 hours ago
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Idris, described the exercise as a critical constitutional requirement in the Commission’s preparations for the election.
The 637 candidates are contesting for a total of 68 positions—comprising 62 councillors and six area council chairmanship offices covering Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
Testing Amupitan’s delivery
Like other local elections in Nigeria, the FCT council election would be conducted by INEC.
For Professor Joash Amupitan, the FCT Area Council elections represent more than a routine local poll. They are the first test of his leadership since his appointment as chairman of the electoral commission by President Bola Tinubu in October 2025.
As a senior lawyer and university don, Amupitan faces the task of steering by ensuring the commission conducts a credible and transparent election.
Observers say the test of his leadership will hinge on logistics and deployment of sensitive materials, areas that have historically caused delays. Success here could set the tone for INEC’s management of the 2027 general elections, including the presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state assembly polls.
Wike’s Show of Political Muscle
Ahead of the polls, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has emerged as a decisive political actor. Campaigning for candidates aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision, Wike has openly backed the APC slate despite being a PDP member, stating he “owes no apology” for influencing voter choices.
“This is about ensuring candidates who support President Tinubu win, and those who don’t are held accountable at the polls,” Wike said.
His influence is evident in recent developments: in AMAC, PDP candidate Zadna Dantani withdrew in favor of incumbent APC candidate Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, while in Bwari, PDP contender Julius Adamu stepped aside for APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa.
These withdrawals highlight Wike’s growing political footprint and signal a realignment of alliances ahead of the elections.
Litmus test for the 2027 elections
In line with constitutional provisions, INEC announced that the forthcoming 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on 20 February 2027, with governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls scheduled for March 6, 2027.
With the announcement, many Nigerians have described the Saturday’s council elections as a litmus test ahead of the general elections, serving as the prism from which Nigerians can weigh and predict how the electoral umpire would perform — on delivery and transparency — come 2027.
Political apathy: A Persistent Challenge
Another challenge INEC faces on Saturday is voter apathy, a familiar pattern that often accompanies changes in political power across Nigeria.
For instance, in the 2019 Abuja council elections, voter turnout was low, with only 19.7 per cent of registered voters in Bwari and just 11.5 per cent in central AMAC casting their ballots. The trend continued in 2022, when an election monitoring report recorded turnout of only around 9 per cent, with many newly created polling units seeing virtually no voters at all.
Addressing this, Mamman Eri, National Chairman of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) and Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), in a report by The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper stressed that political parties must play a role in voter education.
“If you leave it to the electoral management bodies alone, it will not be enough,” Eri said. “Political parties usually campaign with warfare, not civic education. But if they actively go from community to community teaching people what to do, it will encourage more citizens to vote and strengthen the process.”
The Race and Grassroots Strategy
The contest features strong challengers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC). Analysts note that power brokers like Wike could influence alliances and outcomes, particularly in key councils.
Candidates are increasingly targeting rural communities. For example, Maikalangu, formerly PDP and now APC, has focused on grassroots mobilisation, taking campaigns beyond urban centres—a strategy credited for his 2022 victory.
With high-profile endorsements, voter education challenges, and the first real test of Professor Amupitan’s leadership, the 2026 FCT council elections are shaping up to be a closely watched barometer ahead of the 2027 general elections.
