The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has declared that the outcome of Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory will be determined by residents, not the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Adebayo made the remark on Thursday while addressing supporters in Apo, Abuja, during a campaign rally for the SDP’s Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship candidate, Obinna Simon, popularly known as MC Tagwaye.

Speaking at the rally, Adebayo dismissed suggestions that the minister could influence the result of the polls, urging voters to resist any attempt to impose candidates on them.

“There is a man in Abuja who said he has already decided the winner. But in this country, it is the people who choose their leaders. No one appointed from somewhere can determine who becomes chairman of our area council,” he said.

He described Abuja as a city belonging to its residents and encouraged voters to come out en masse to cast their ballots for the SDP candidate in AMAC.

Adebayo also took a swipe at the administration of President Bola Tinubu, linking what he described as governance failures at the national level to developments in the FCT.

According to him, Nigerians must use the council elections as a starting point to reclaim grassroots governance.

“The closest government to the people is the area council. Let us begin to take back our country from AMAC to Bwari, Kuje, Kwali and Gwagwalada,” he added.

The SDP flag bearer for AMAC, MC Tagwaye, appealed to residents for support, promising inclusive governance and improved social services if elected.

The comedian-turned-politician, who was formerly a member of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council in 2023, defected from the All Progressives Congress to the SDP last year.

He explained that his defection was driven by dissatisfaction with what he described as the APC’s failure to reward loyalty and uphold its founding principles.

Meanwhile, political developments within the Peoples Democratic Party have altered the contest in some councils.

The PDP chairmanship candidate for AMAC, Zadna Dantani, withdrew from the race and declared support for the APC candidate, Christopher Maikalangu.

Similarly, the PDP candidate in Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, stepped down in favour of the APC’s Joshua Musa.

Dantani attributed his decision to the intervention of the FCT Minister and confirmed that he had formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission of his withdrawal ahead of the February 21, 2026 election.

Voters across the six area councils in the FCT — AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali — are expected to elect chairmen and councillors.

The Independent National Electoral Commission scheduled the polls for February 21, 2026, with campaigns ending on February 19.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and still a member of the PDP, has continued to play a prominent role in FCT politics since his appointment as minister in 2023.

His backing of candidates associated with the APC has drawn criticism from some members of his party, who accuse him of anti-party activities.

The minister, however, has maintained that recent political realignments reflect internal challenges within the opposition.

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has asked the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to reconsider and suspend the movement restriction announced ahead of the forthcoming Area Council elections.

Wike had earlier declared Friday a work-free day and imposed a restriction on movement from 8 pm on Friday to 6 am on Saturday as part of preparations for the local government polls scheduled to hold in the territory.

In a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Matilda Duncan, Kingibe criticised the decision, describing it as unilateral and inconsistent with democratic norms.

She argued that imposing a curfew across the FCT without adequate consultation with key stakeholders undermines constitutional governance.

According to the senator, residents of the FCT are citizens of a democratic republic whose rights to movement and livelihood should not be curtailed without compelling justification.

While acknowledging the need to maintain peace and order during elections, Kingibe maintained that security concerns should not be used to justify what she termed executive overreach.

She warned that the restriction could disrupt economic activities and negatively affect small businesses, daily wage earners, families and scheduled events within the capital city.

She also noted that members of the ECOWAS Parliament are expected in Abuja for a 10-day extraordinary session beginning Sunday, alongside other pre-planned social and official engagements.

Kingibe stressed that curfews are typically reserved for situations involving serious security threats, insisting that the Area Council elections do not warrant such sweeping measures.

She therefore called on the minister to immediately review and suspend the restriction, emphasising that the rights, freedoms and economic wellbeing of FCT residents must not be compromised by arbitrary executive actions.

Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged eligible voters in Ahoada East and Khana Local Government Areas to turn out in large numbers for the bye-elections scheduled for Saturday.

The elections are being conducted to fill vacant seats in Ahoada East Constituency 2 and Khana Constituency 2 in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Speaking in Port Harcourt on Friday, the governor described the exercise as a “family affair” and appealed to residents to support the candidates of the All Progressives Congress in the two constituencies.

Fubara’s appeal was conveyed in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, and made available to journalists.

He emphasized the need for peaceful participation, urging voters to conduct themselves responsibly before, during and after the polls.

“Everyone should remain law-abiding and avoid any action capable of disrupting the peace,” the governor said, adding that there was no reason for rancour or acrimony during what he termed a family election.

In a related development, the Rivers State Police Command announced a restriction of movement in Ahoada East and Khana LGAs from 12 noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday to ensure a smooth and secure electoral process.

A former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has advised former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to exercise restraint, saying his confrontational approach is worsening his legal and political challenges.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed said El-Rufai’s current posture reflects a reluctance to adopt caution at a time when prudence is required.

“Unfortunately, Mallam Nasiru, by character, is a very difficult person to advise,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed argued that the former governor should concentrate on responding to corruption allegations linked to his administration in Kaduna State rather than broadening his disputes.

“This is a government that takes no prisoners. They are alleging that while he was in office, he embezzled money and stole money,” he stated.

He warned that escalating confrontations could compound the situation.

“When you find yourself in a ditch, stop digging. The first rule of being in a ditch is to stop digging,” Baba-Ahmed said, adding that recent developments have only intensified hostility against El-Rufai.

He listed multiple issues confronting the former governor, including allegations concerning the management of Kaduna State funds, comments made on live television about involvement in bugging the phone of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and a letter alleging that the Office of the National Security Adviser was in custody of a toxic substance.

“How far do you want to go in this?” he queried.

Baba-Ahmed also examined the matter from a broader political angle, noting that El-Rufai’s role in the African Democratic Congress would be more effective if he were not weighed down by legal and security disputes.

“You’re a very prominent member of the ADC. You are more useful to the ADC as a free man, not encumbered by a lot of allegations and fights,” he said.

He urged the former governor to limit further damage by focusing on clearing his name over allegations of financial misconduct.

The remarks come amid growing controversies surrounding El-Rufai. Beyond the corruption allegations tied to his tenure, he recently acknowledged accessing an intercepted telephone conversation involving Ribadu, admitting the action was unlawful while claiming that such practices are common within government circles.

The situation escalated after he wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser seeking clarification over reports of the alleged procurement of about 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate, a toxic substance.

Tensions heightened further following reports of an attempted arrest by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Cairo, fuelling perceptions of a deepening standoff between the former governor and elements within the security establishment.

Earlier, on January 30, El-Rufai had publicly called on Ribadu to clarify the reports concerning the alleged procurement of thallium sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

But Baba-Ahmed maintained that the pattern of events suggests escalation rather than resolution.

“If you put all these things together, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai seems to have ignored that proverb: if you’re in a ditch, stop digging,” he said.

Fresh cracks have surfaced within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as rival factions loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, conducted parallel ward and local government congresses across the state’s 276 wards.

The development underscores a deepening leadership tussle that has dogged the party since the inception of the current administration.

What initially appeared as routine post-election disagreements has gradually snowballed into a full-blown struggle for control of party structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At the centre of the dispute is the frosty relationship between Governor Alia and his estranged political benefactor, Akume.

Their strained ties have polarized party stakeholders from the state executive down to the grassroots, resulting in two distinct blocs laying claim to legitimacy.

One faction, loyal to the SGF and led by Comrade Austin Agada, insists it remains the authentic leadership of the party in the state.

The other group, aligned with the governor and coordinated through the party’s national secretariat with Chief Benjamin Omale playing a key role, maintains it is acting in accordance with directives from Abuja.

Both camps issued separate notices announcing the commencement of ward and local government congresses.

The Omale-led faction said committees deployed by the APC national secretariat had arrived in Makurdi to supervise the exercise, inviting aspirants to submit nomination and expression of interest forms at the party secretariat.

Conversely, the Agada faction declared its own congress timetable, describing the process as non-elective and in line with resolutions of the party’s National Executive Committee.

It maintained that its exercise was being monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the designated ward congress committee.

Security presence was visibly heightened at the party secretariat in Makurdi as sensitive materials were distributed to representatives ahead of the exercises.

Each side projected confidence in the legitimacy of its actions, further entrenching the parallel structures.

INEC, however, appeared to distance itself from the factional claims.

An official of the commission noted that it was working with the committee recognized by the party’s national secretariat and was unaware of any officially sanctioned parallel arrangement.

Political observers warn that ward congresses are foundational to party stability because they shape grassroots leadership and determine the composition of delegates for higher-level primaries.

The emergence of parallel structures at this level signals an intense struggle for control of the party machinery in Benue.

The rift between Alia and Akume reportedly dates back to early decisions of the administration, including key appointments and leadership selections in the State Assembly.

Subsequent events — including disputes over party secretariat control, suspension of lawmakers, and allegations of executive interference in legislative matters — have only widened the gulf.

Despite court rulings reportedly favouring the SGF’s faction in the dispute over the party secretariat, tensions remain unresolved.

Interventions by traditional and national leaders have so far failed to produce lasting peace.
With both camps pressing ahead with separate congresses, concerns are mounting among party faithful that the crisis could spiral into prolonged legal battles and weaken the APC’s cohesion in Benue State.

For now, the ruling party appears locked in a contest for supremacy, as stakeholders await decisive intervention from the national leadership to prevent further fragmentation.