Voters across the Federal Capital Territory are set to head to the polls today, Saturday, February 21, 2025, to elect chairmen and councillors for the six area councils in Abuja.
The elections, scheduled to take place in Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali, are expected to test the growing influence of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is being backed by a coalition of major opposition figures.
Candidates from the ADC, All Progressives Congress (APC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have spent the past three weeks canvassing support from residents ahead of the vote.
Leading ADC campaign efforts are prominent opposition politicians including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, who have urged Abuja residents to support the party’s candidates.
The ADC chairmanship candidate for AMAC, Dr. Moses Paul, described his candidacy as the product of years of grassroots engagement, saying he is prepared to deliver accountable leadership if elected.
Residents across various communities expressed mixed expectations ahead of the elections. A trader in Bwari said voters were tired of leaders who disappear after campaigns, while others called for improved infrastructure, water supply and security rather than campaign slogans.
Earlier, the FCT Police Command announced a 12-hour restriction of movement across Abuja from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to ensure the smooth conduct of the election.
Meanwhile, the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, recently declared support for candidates aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision, regardless of party affiliation.
Wike’s political strategy has reportedly influenced developments in the PDP, with the party’s Bwari chairmanship candidate, Julius Adamu, stepping down for APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa. Similarly, the PDP candidate for AMAC, Hon. Zadna Dantani, withdrew from the race in support of APC’s Christopher Zakka Maikalangu.
The withdrawals are widely believed to be linked to the FCT Minister’s intervention ahead of the polls.
