FCT Poll Drama: APC Drags PDP To Court Over Controversial Gwagwalada Outcome

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Yahaya Usman, have approached the election tribunal to challenge the outcome of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship poll in the Federal Capital Territory.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The election, conducted on February 21, 2026, covered 10 wards and 338 polling units. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner with 22,165 votes, while Usman secured 17,788 votes.

Dissatisfied with the result, the APC and its candidate filed a petition, marked FCT/ACEPT/EP/02/2026, seeking to nullify the PDP candidate’s victory.

In their filing, they argued that the election was not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026, alleging widespread irregularities and corrupt practices. They also claimed that the declared winner did not actually secure the highest number of valid votes.

The petition detailed alleged manipulation of results in at least six polling units across Kutunku, Ibwa, Tungan Maje, and Ikwa wards. According to the APC, figures were altered to match accredited voter numbers and conceal instances of over-voting.

They further alleged that result sheets were tampered with, citing cancellations and alterations that cast doubt on the credibility of the recorded figures.

The party also claimed that votes in its favour were reduced in two polling units during collation.

Additionally, the APC alleged that over 100 polling units were affected by non-compliance with electoral guidelines, while in eight units, officials allegedly erased and rewrote figures on result sheets.

Concerns were also raised about voter accreditation. The petitioners stated that in 71 polling units across six wards, proper accreditation procedures were not followed, yet votes from those areas were still counted.

They also pointed to over-voting in 31 polling units, where the number of votes exceeded accredited voters, arguing that such votes should be cancelled.

After excluding the disputed figures, the APC claimed it would have 16,499 valid votes, while the PDP candidate would have 18,929 votes, reducing the margin to 2,430 votes.

The party further argued that the margin of lead is smaller than the number of registered voters in the affected polling units, insisting that the result should therefore be invalidated.

Consequently, the APC and its candidate are asking the tribunal to nullify the election outcome declared by INEC and determine the rightful winner in accordance with the law.

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