Alltimepost.com Sincerity of Purpose
- •Tinubu congratulates winners, commends INEC
•Voter apathy protests against APC’s misrule, sets up legal team for members
•Outcome of elections endorsement of President Tinubu —APC chairman •Wike hails president
The ruling showcased the best of its command performance in the FCT yet, beating its earlier record of winning four council seats in 2019, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won two. The ruling party also bettered its 2022 record, when it shared the spoils with the PDP at three councils apiece.
In the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC was declared the winner in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) as well as Bwari, Abaji, Kwali, and Kuje, while the Peoples Democratic Party PDP maintained its hold on Gwagwalada Area Council.
In Saturday’s polls, 637 candidates from 17 political parties contested for 68 positions, including six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship slots across 62 wards.
Aside from displacing its main challenger to the FCT councils, the APC also silenced the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which was left politically stranded as it won no seat in the Area Councils. The erstwhile ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, won the Gwagwalada Area Council.
The APC won in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Kuje, Kwali, and Bwari. Professor Mohammed Nurudeen, the Returning Officer for the Bwari chairmanship election, declared Mr Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressive Congress (APC) the winner of the Bwari Area Council.
Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to defeat the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who scored a total of 4,254 votes.
The election was conducted in 10 wards of the council: Igu, Shere, Dutse, Ushafa, Byazhin, Kuduru, Kubwa, Usuma, Bwari central and Kawu.
The candidate of the APC, Christopher Maikalangu, who is also the incumbent chairman of AMAC, retained his seat by polling 40,295 out of the total number of Valid Votes of 62,861 in the election.
The ADC came second with 12,109 votes, trailed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which polled 3,398 votes. Mohammed Kasim of the PDP was returned in the Gwagwalada Area Council.
In the result announced by the Returning Officer, Philip Akpen Kasim secured 22,165 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the APC, who polled 17,788 votes. In the Kwali Area Council, Daniel Nuhu of the APC scored a total of 17,032 votes while the PDP candidate, Haruna Pai, polled 8,575 votes to come second in the election.
In Abaji Area Council, INEC Presiding Officer for the area council, Muhammad Usman, declared Abubakar Abdullahi of the APC winner, having scored 15,535 votes to defeat his main rival, Loko Angulu, of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), who polled 5,357 votes to come second. The PDP candidate, Sokodabo Bilyaminu, came third with 4,547 votes. The APC also won in Kuje. Its candidate, Honourable Samuel Shekwolo, polled 17,269 to defeat the PDP, which scored 15,824. The ADC came a distant third with a dismal figure of
716 votes. In Saturday’s polls, 637 candidates from 17 political parties contested for 68 positions, including six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship slots across 62 wards.
In Gwagwalada, the PDP’s Kasim Mohammed emerged victorious in a keenly contested battle, polling 22,165 votes. He defeated Yahaya Shehu of the APC, who secured 17,788 votes.
The Returning Officer, Philip Akpen, described the exercise as “peaceful and smooth,” although the win was shadowed by reports of voter intimidation and allegations of vote-buying at certain polling points. Despite these tensions, jubilant PDP supporters flooded Gwagwalada town to celebrate what they termed a “victory for democracy.” Out of 207,577 registered voters, only 46,294 were accredited, with 1,521 votes rejected.
The APC further extended its lead by winning the Bwari and Kwali chairmanship seats. In Bwari, Joshua Ishaku was declared the winner by the Returning Officer Professor Mohammed Nurudeen after polling 18,466 votes. The ADC followed in a distant second with 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) came third with 3,515 votes.
In the Kwali area council, Daniel Nuhu of the APC secured a decisive win with 16,656 votes, nearly doubling the tally of his closest rival, Haruna Pai of the PDP, who polled 8,467 votes.
The victory in Kwali was confirmed Sunday morning after Nuhu won a majority of the ten wards in the council.
In Abaji, the INEC Presiding Officer for the area council, Muhammad Usman, announced that Umar Abdullahi Abubakar of APC, won by securing a total of 15,535 votes. The candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Loko Angulu, came second with 5,357 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Sokodabo Bilyaminu, followed with 4,547 votes. The candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Aminu Sadiq, secured 53 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Mohammed Ibrahim, polled 37 votes.
ADC candidate, Dr. Paul, accepts defeat
Reacting to the outcome of the weekend election, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress for AMAC, Dr.Moses Paul, in a press statement, accepted the result as the verdict of the electorate.
The ADC candidate commended the party faithful for their support while thanking certain leaders of the party who equally stood by him.
He said:” Let it be known, and let history record, that what we witnessed in this election was not merely a contest for office, but a declaration of dignity by a people who have refused to surrender their future.
“I have reviewed the outcome as announced, and while I hold firmly, based on the engagements, the evidence of our people’s participation, and the overwhelming spirit of our movement, that we earned the sacred mandate of the people, I accept, with peace in my heart and strength in my spirit, the processes as they have been declared.
“Because this movement was never built on the fragile foundation of titles. It was built on the eternal foundation of truth. And truth does not expire with an election. To the young men and women who stood in the sun for hours, who walked distances their feet had never known, who gave their time, their strength, their voices, you are the authors of a new chapter.
“To those who came from far and near, who slept little, who gave their resources, who endured intimidation, who endured doubt, who endured hardship, your sacrifice has already altered the moral architecture of AMAC forever.”
APC wins big in Kano, Rivers, Ogun
Also in Kano, the APC won two seats in the by-elections conductedino the Kano State House of Assembly. The party won in Ungogo and Kano Municipal constituency, while also winning big in the by-elections conducted in Rivers State House of Assembly, winning the two seats on offer in Ahoada East Constituency II and Khana State Constituency II.
The APC also won big in Ogun State, beating 18 other parties in Ohunbe Ward 8 of Yewa North Local Government Area. The election conducted by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) saw APC’s Moses Opeisa declared the winner, as declared by the OGSIEC Returning Officer, Mr. Kabiru Oyeyemi. He polled 2,255 votes out of a total of 3,263 votes cast.
Chairman of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), Mr. Babatunde Osibodu, described the exercise as peaceful and orderly, praising the people of Ohunbe for their commitment to electing a new Councillor to represent their interests.
Tinubu congratulates winners of FCT, Kano, Rivers elections, commends INEC
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the winners of Saturday’s elections in the Federal Capital Territory and the states of Kano and Rivers.
INEC over the weekend conducted elections in the six area councils of the FCT and by-elections in the Ahoada East II and Khana II state constituencies of Rivers State, as well as in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State.
Tinubu, in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, urged the winners to serve with humility, patriotism, and dedication and to view the mandate given to them by the people as a sacred trust.
He equally commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for “ his remarkable achievements in the territory, which have yielded political dividends to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).”
The statement read:” The President congratulates the APC national leadership, Kano and Rivers leaderships, and all members of the party on the victories at the polls.
“President Tinubu lauds the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and voters for the peaceful and successful conduct of the elections.
“He further commends the courage and discipline displayed by all the contestants, stating that democracy is enriched with the vibrancy of participation and competition.
“President Tinubu affirms that the successful conduct of the elections further strengthens democratic culture and institutions and calls on INEC to continue improving its efforts to deliver even more exemplary electoral processes.”
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, NyesomWike, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for the peaceful conduct of Saturday’s Area Council elections, saying the outcome had shown to Nigerians the ruling party and the real opposition party in the country.
In a special broadcast on national television and radio stations on Sunday evening, the minister said the peaceful conduct of the election was a testament to the commitment of the people of the FCT to democracy and good governance.
He said the election further exposed the hypocrisy of people who go about buying corn and groundnut from roadside sellers for the purpose of campaign just to deceive Nigerians.
“Residents of FCT demonstrated that they cannot be deceived by emergency democrats who have chosen not to see anything good in our country and its government,” he said.
He thanked President Tinubu for the development he has brought to the FCT, saying “the election is a reflection of the president’s vision and leadership, and a testimony that the Renewed Hope Agenda has brought optimism and confidence to the people of the FCT.”
SOURCE: TRIBUNE
