The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from the withdrawal of some of its chairmanship candidates in the forthcoming Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the development as shameful and anti-democratic.
In a statement issued on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the leadership received news of the candidates stepping down with “utter dismay,” insisting that the withdrawals were done without the consent or approval of the party.
He condemned what he described as attempts to force or induce consensus ahead of the elections, noting that democracy thrives on open and competitive contests rather than manipulated agreements.
Residents of the FCT are scheduled to vote on Saturday to elect chairpersons and councillors across the six Area Councils — Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Abaji and Kwali — which function as the grassroots administrative units of the territory.
So far, two PDP chairmanship candidates have stepped down and endorsed candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Their decisions followed political interventions linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu withdrew from the race and declared support for the APC candidate, Joshua Musa.
Similarly, Zadna Dantani, the PDP candidate in AMAC, stepped down and endorsed the incumbent chairman, Christopher Maikalangu of the APC, who is seeking a second term.
Allegations against former leaders
Mr Ememobong alleged that the withdrawals were orchestrated by former PDP leaders who had been expelled from the party.
He accused them of working to weaken the PDP in favour of President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
According to him, the development signals a troubling trend that could extend to future elections, including the 2027 presidential contest, where opposition candidates might allegedly be pressured to step aside to smooth the path for the president’s re-election bid.
He maintained that the PDP had taken disciplinary action against those former leaders in order to rebuild a stronger opposition platform capable of challenging for power in 2027.
Despite the setbacks, the party urged voters in the FCT to remain vigilant, protect their ballots, and ensure that results are properly transmitted from polling units in line with electoral guidelines.
The PDP said it remains committed to democratic principles and competitive elections, vowing to resist any attempt to erode internal party processes or undermine opposition politics in the country.
