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.
