2026 FCT Polls: CSO Applauds Maikalangu’s Landslide As APC Sweeps Five Councils
In a political climate where public trust in elections is often tested, the outcome of the 2026 FCT Area Council polls is being described by observers as a reassuring sign for Nigeria’s democracy.
A civil society organisation, the Young People’s Initiative for Credible Leadership, has hailed the re-election of Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu as Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), commending what it called the largely peaceful and credible conduct of the elections across the Federal Capital Territory.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Founder and Executive Director of the group, Comrade Abdulwahab Ekekhide, said the organisation monitored the process before, during and after the polls alongside other civil society partners and independent observers.
According to him, the elections were peaceful, free, fair and transparent, with the will of the people prevailing at the ballot.
The group particularly celebrated Maikalangu’s victory in AMAC, where he secured a second term with what it described as a wide margin.
Ekekhide attributed the outcome to the chairman’s grassroots connection and people-oriented leadership style.
“His re-election shows that when leaders remain connected to the grassroots, they will always earn the support of the people,” he said, adding that Maikalangu’s development efforts have continued to resonate with residents since his first victory in 2022.
While applauding the overall conduct of the polls, the organisation expressed concern over low voter turnout. Ekekhide urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intensify voter education and sensitisation campaigns ahead of future elections to tackle voter apathy.
The group also linked the performance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the FCT to ongoing infrastructural projects championed by the FCT administration, suggesting that such initiatives may have influenced voting patterns.
It will be recalled that the 2026 FCT Area Council Elections, held on 21 February across the six area councils, saw the APC win five councils, AMAC, Bwari, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched victory in Gwagwalada.
Describing the polls as a possible barometer for 2027 political alignments, the organisation maintained that safeguarding electoral integrity remains a shared responsibility.
“Nigeria’s democracy is still evolving,” Ekekhide said. “It is our collective duty, especially as young leaders, to protect and strengthen it.”
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