The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reclaimed the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship seat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s council election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared PDP candidate, Mohammed Kasim, winner of the poll after securing 22,165 votes to beat his closest rival, APC’s Yahaya Usman, who polled 17,788 votes. Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) came a distant third with 1,687 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Philip Akpen, announced the result at the collation centre in Gwagwalada, stating that Kasim satisfied all legal requirements and was duly elected chairman.
Kasim’s victory marks a significant comeback for the PDP in Gwagwalada and provides a morale boost for the party amid its ongoing internal challenges at the national level. Observers say the outcome also suggests that recent defections into the APC have not fully translated into electoral dominance at the grassroots in parts of the FCT.
The Gwagwalada race had been preceded by controversy, including circulating claims of candidate withdrawals and allegations of vote-buying and intimidation in some areas. However, INEC maintained that the election was largely peaceful and reflected the will of voters.
The poll formed part of the 2026 FCT Area Council elections conducted across the six councils—AMAC, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, Bwari and Abaji—for chairmanship and councillorship positions.
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