The candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship election, Dr Paul Moses, has conceded defeat following the conclusion of the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls.

Dr Moses accepted the outcome shortly after the official declaration of results, signalling a reduced likelihood of any immediate legal challenge from his end.

Under Nigeria’s electoral framework, political parties reserve the right to institute legal proceedings at the Election Petition Tribunal if dissatisfied with the outcome of a poll, regardless of a candidate’s personal position.

However, in what observers describe as a rare move, the ADC flagbearer opted to accept the verdict.

In a statement, he said, “I accept the outcome of the election. Democracy demands respect for the will of the people, and I remain committed to the principles of peace, progress, and service.”

He expressed appreciation to his supporters, campaign team and residents of AMAC who believed in his vision, noting that the election marked a continuation, not the end, of his public service engagement.

“This is not the end of the journey. Our movement for accountable leadership, inclusive governance, and sustainable development in AMAC remains strong. We will continue to engage, organise, and work towards a better future for our people,” he added.

The incumbent chairman, Honourable Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Dr Moses also urged his supporters to remain calm, united and focused, assuring them that the ideals championed during the campaign would not be abandoned.

The Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency has fixed a mandatory N150 million permit fee for political parties and candidates intending to advertise during the 2026 local government elections and the 2027 general elections in the state.

The General Manager of the agency, Mr Francis Aninwike, disclosed the development during a management meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Enugu.

According to a statement from the media office of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the directive aligns with the agency’s statutory responsibility to regulate outdoor advertising and maintain environmental standards across the 17 local government areas.

Aninwike explained that the N150m permit would authorise political parties and candidates to deploy campaign materials such as billboards, banners, branded vehicles, T-shirts and handbills, as well as organise rallies and street campaigns.

He stated that no political party or candidate would be allowed to mount or display any form of visual campaign material without first obtaining approval from the agency and paying the prescribed fee into the Enugu State Government account.

The agency said the measure is aimed at curbing visual pollution, safeguarding public infrastructure and ensuring professionalism throughout the electioneering period.

Aninwike warned that campaign materials mounted without proper authorisation would be removed, while defaulters could face legal consequences.

He further clarified that only advertising practitioners licensed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria are permitted to manage billboards and related campaign structures within the state.

Individuals, support groups or political organisations are barred from erecting such structures without going through approved ARCON practitioners and securing ENSSAA clearance.

Responding to concerns about impartiality, the agency maintained that the regulation would apply equally to all political actors, including incumbents.

It noted that the governor has previously complied with the state’s advertising rules in his official and political engagements.

The agency also urged party supporters to refrain from vandalising or defacing opponents’ campaign materials, stressing that such actions are unlawful and undermine democratic practice.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said the outcome and peaceful conduct of the FCT area council elections have exposed what he described as “political theatrics” by individuals who attempt to win public sympathy through staged gestures.

Speaking in a special broadcast on Sunday, Wike said residents of the FCT demonstrated political maturity and discernment by refusing to be swayed by what he called superficial campaign tactics, including public displays such as buying roasted corn and groundnuts from roadside traders for media attention.

According to him, the election showed that Nigerians can distinguish between genuine leadership and what he termed “emergency democrats” who, in his words, constantly undermine the government while seeking public validation through symbolism.

“This election has shown clearly that Nigerians understand who the ruling party is and who the real opposition is,” the minister stated, adding that FCT residents proved they could not be deceived by optics or political drama.

Wike attributed the peaceful and credible conduct of the polls to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the exercise reflected the administration’s commitment to democratic consolidation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He praised the President for supporting reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system, particularly the amendment of the Electoral Act, which he said has enhanced transparency and credibility in the conduct of elections.

The FCT minister also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting what he described as a free, fair, and credible election.

He said the electoral body’s performance underscored the administration’s resolve to reinforce democratic institutions.

Security agencies were equally lauded for maintaining order throughout the exercise, ensuring that voters were able to cast their ballots in a peaceful atmosphere.

Wike congratulated winners of the polls and urged them to serve with humility, dedication, and a strong commitment to grassroots development.

He called on them to prioritise the welfare of residents and deliver tangible dividends of democracy.

He also thanked FCT residents, particularly those in satellite towns, for turning out in large numbers and conducting themselves peacefully during the elections.

Reaffirming his administration’s commitment, Wike pledged that the FCT Administration would continue to implement policies and projects aligned with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda to sustain development and improve the quality of life in the nation’s capital.

The Peoples Democratic Party has inaugurated a special legal team to challenge the outcome of Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, following the All Progressives Congress’ victory in five of the six chairmanship seats.

Results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission showed that the APC secured victories in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje, while the PDP clinched the chairmanship seat in Gwagwalada.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP alleged widespread irregularities, including intimidation and vote-buying.

The party said its legal team, headed by National Legal Adviser Shafi Bara’u, Esq., would contest results it considers flawed.

The PDP congratulated its Gwagwalada chairman-elect, Mohammed Kasim, describing the victory as significant despite what it called “high-powered money politics and brazen executive brigandage.”

The party further alleged that security operatives interfered with the electoral process in some polling units.

According to INEC’s official results, Christopher Maikalangu of the APC won in AMAC with 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes.

In Bwari, APC’s Joshua Ishaku polled 18,466 votes to emerge victorious, while Umar Abubakar secured Abaji with 15,535 votes.

In Kwali, Nuhu Daniel of the APC defeated PDP’s Haruna Pai with 17,032 votes, and in Kuje, APC candidate Danjuma Shekwolo won with 17,269 votes.

The PDP’s sole victory came in Gwagwalada, where Mohammed Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat APC’s Yahaya Shehu, who scored 17,788 votes.

INEC said over 239,000 voters participated in the polls, representing about 15 per cent of the 1.68 million registered voters in the FCT.

The commission denied claims that voters were migrated to new polling units, explaining that it merely created split polling units in densely populated areas to ease congestion.

The electoral body noted that 93 per cent of polling unit results had been uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal as of Sunday afternoon.

While acknowledging voter apathy, INEC said turnout improved compared to the 2022 council elections.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested 20 suspects across the FCT for alleged electoral offences, including vote-buying and obstruction of officials.

The anti-graft agency said it recovered a total of N17.2m, including N13.5m found in a vehicle parked near a polling booth in Kwali.

The suspects are expected to be charged after investigations.

President Bola Tinubu congratulated the winners, describing their mandates as a sacred trust.

He commended INEC and security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the polls and urged elected officials to serve with humility and dedication.

Similarly, APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda described the outcome as an endorsement of the administration’s reform agenda, while FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said the results clarified Nigeria’s political landscape, asserting that the election demonstrated residents’ support for the ruling party.

However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar warned of a shrinking democratic space, citing low voter turnout as evidence of declining public confidence.

He called on opposition parties to unite in defence of democracy.

Also reacting, PDP chieftain Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim described the Gwagwalada victory and councillorship gains as signs of the party’s resurgence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The National Assembly has increased the campaign spending ceiling for presidential elections from N5 billion to N10 billion under the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026.

Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the major provisions of the new law in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Sunday.

He said Section 92(1-8) of the Act reviewed upward the spending limits for various elective positions.

Under the new regime, governorship candidates can now spend up to N3 billion, up from N1 billion.

The ceiling for Senate elections has been raised from N100 million to N500 million; House of Representatives from N70 million to N250 million; House of Assembly from N30 million to N100 million; Area Council chairmanship from N30 million to N60 million; and councillorship from N5 million to N10 million.

The law also introduces stiffer penalties for electoral offences. Bamidele explained that Section 125(1-2) prescribes a two-year jail term or a fine ranging from N500,000 to N2 million, or both, for offences such as vote buying, impersonation and result manipulation.

In addition, Section 74(1) mandates Resident Electoral Commissioners to release certified true copies of requested electoral documents within 24 hours of payment.

Failure to comply attracts a minimum two-year prison term without the option of fine.

The new Act establishes a dedicated fund for the Independent National Electoral Commission to strengthen its financial autonomy and operational stability.

It also mandates the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for voter accreditation and enforces compulsory electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

Section 60(3) makes electronic transmission of polling unit results mandatory, while Section 60(6) imposes a six-month prison sentence or a N500,000 fine, or both, on any presiding officer who deliberately frustrates the process.

However, the law permits the use of Form EC8A where electronic transmission fails due to communication challenges, as prescribed by INEC.

The legislation further requires political parties to maintain digital membership registers and submit them to INEC at least 21 days before primaries, congresses or conventions. Parties that fail to comply will be barred from fielding candidates.

Indirect primaries have been removed, leaving only direct and consensus options in a bid to curb monetisation and broaden participation.

Other reforms include provisions supporting persons with visual impairment, gender-sensitive queue arrangements where culturally necessary, and a N10 million fine for any political party that fails to submit accurate audited financial returns within the stipulated period.

The harmonised bill was passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who signed it into law within 24 hours.

Lawmakers said the swift assent was necessary to prevent constitutional complications ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Bamidele maintained that the law was the product of two years of consultations involving civil society organisations, INEC, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and development partners.

He said the Electoral Act 2026 is designed to strengthen institutional independence, enhance transparency, improve technological integration and reinforce accountability in Nigeria’s electoral system.

The Peoples Democratic Party has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to promptly declare the outstanding results of the Kuje Area Council chairmanship election, expressing concern over what it described as an unusual delay in the collation process.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party said results from two wards in Kuje — Kuje Central and Kabi — were yet to be announced, creating tension among party supporters.

According to the PDP, the delay is particularly troubling given what it claims is a marginal lead in the area.

The party alleged that the situation could expose the process to manipulation and called on the electoral umpire to safeguard the integrity of the exercise.

“We call on the Chairman of INEC to direct the immediate announcement of the outstanding results, many of which have already been uploaded on the IREV portal. The will of the people must not be compromised,” the statement read.

The party maintained that the sanctity of the ballot must be preserved, stressing that any deviation from due process would undermine public confidence in the election.

INEC officials, however, attributed the delay to logistical challenges.

The Supervising Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Kuje poll, Abubakar Dambo, explained that results from eight of the ten wards had been concluded, while collation was ongoing in the remaining two.

He cited issues involving collation officers as the cause of the setback.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has celebrated its performance in the February 21 elections across the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, and Rivers states.

The party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, described the outcome as evidence of the APC’s growing grassroots support, listing Kuje among councils won by the party despite the pending final declaration.

Earlier results announced by INEC showed the APC winning in Abaji, Kwali, Abuja Municipal Area Council, and Bwari, while the PDP secured victory in Gwagwalada.

President Bola Tinubu had also congratulated winners of the elections, commending INEC, security agencies, and voters for what he described as the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Despite these commendations, opposition parties have continued to question aspects of the process, citing low voter turnout and alleged irregularities.

The PDP has already constituted a legal team to handle potential election petitions arising from the FCT Area Council polls.

The African Democratic Congress has rejected the outcome of the Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, describing the exercise as flawed and vowing to challenge the results in court.

In a statement issued on Sunday after the declaration of winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the party alleged widespread irregularities, voter suppression and procedural breaches that, it claimed, undermined the credibility of the polls.

The elections, held across the six area councils namely; Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, and Abaji, saw candidates of the All Progressives Congress secure victories in five councils and PDP one council.

However, the ADC maintained that the results did not reflect the true will of the electorate.

The party accused electoral officials in some polling units of failing to adhere strictly to guidelines, citing alleged incidents of result manipulation and logistical lapses.

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President Bola Tinubu has congratulated winners of the just-concluded elections in the Federal Capital Territory, Kano State, and Rivers State, describing the outcomes as a testament to democratic resilience.

In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted polls across the six area councils of the FCT and held by-elections in designated state constituencies in Kano and Rivers states.

The elections covered chairmanship and councillorship seats in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, and Abaji.

By-elections were also conducted in Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State, as well as Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies in Rivers State.

According to results declared by INEC, the All Progressives Congress secured victories in Abaji, Kwali, Abuja Municipal Area Council, and Bwari, while the Peoples Democratic Party clinched Gwagwalada Area Council. In Rivers State, the APC won both Ahoada East II and Khana II seats.

President Tinubu urged the elected officials to approach their mandates with humility, patriotism, and dedication, emphasizing that the trust reposed in them by voters must be upheld through service-driven leadership.

He also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as transformative leadership in the territory, noting that his developmental strides have translated into political gains for the ruling party.

The President extended his congratulations to the national leadership of the APC, as well as party structures in Kano and Rivers states, applauding members for their commitment throughout the electoral process.

Tinubu further praised INEC, security agencies, and voters for ensuring a peaceful exercise.

He acknowledged the participation of all candidates, stating that competitive engagement strengthens democratic culture and institutions.

He encouraged the electoral body to sustain and improve its standards in delivering credible elections nationwide.

Despite the commendations, reports indicated that voter turnout was relatively low in some areas, while opposition parties raised concerns over alleged irregularities.

The PDP has since constituted a legal team to challenge aspects of the FCT Area Council elections through the appropriate judicial channels.