ABUJA – Under a haze of voter indifference and pockets of localised tension, the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged as the dominant force in Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elections. Yet beyond the numerical wins in Bwari and the Abuja Municipal Area Council, the elections were marked by strikingly low turnout and complaints from some residents who said the atmosphere discouraged participation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed Joshua Ishaku of the APC as winner of the Bwari Area Council poll in results announced early Sunday. Ishaku, whose candidacy had been affirmed by a recent Supreme Court ruling, secured 18,466 votes. His closest challenger from the African Democratic Congress polled 4,254 votes.
On paper, the margin suggested a decisive victory. In parts of Bwari and neighbouring Gwagwalada, however, several residents interviewed described what they called a tense environment around polling units. Some alleged that groups of party loyalists gathered near voting centres, a development they said created unease among opposition supporters. While no official complaints of voter intimidation had been confirmed by INEC or security agencies at the time of reporting, the silence from official channels appeared to leave a significant gap between the lived experience of voters on the ground and the formal administrative record.
“It did not feel like a free contest,” said a Gwagwalada resident who requested partial anonymity for security reasons. “When you see certain faces stationed around the school gate, you think twice about stepping forward. Some people decided it was safer to stay home.”
A Crisis of Participation
The clearest indicator of public disengagement was turnout. In Gwagwalada, 46,294 voters were accredited out of approximately 207,000 registered voters, according to figures released at the collation centre. That represents roughly 22 percent participation.
Local observers noted that participation levels have steadily declined in recent FCT council elections, reflecting broader concerns that area councils wield limited autonomy and remain heavily influenced by the FCT Administration. Some residents expressed frustration that local governance structures appear distant from everyday community needs.
The Labour Party was absent from the ballot following internal legal disputes, narrowing the competitive field in several councils. Political analysts say the reduced opposition presence may have contributed to voter apathy in urban districts where the party had previously drawn support.
In Gwagwalada, tensions briefly flared when youths confronted APC Chairman AbdulMalik Usman at a polling unit, forcing security personnel to intervene. No injuries were officially reported.
Results and Political Implications
With victories in AMAC and Bwari, the APC consolidates control over two of the most economically significant councils in the capital territory. AMAC includes key federal institutions, diplomatic districts, and major commercial hubs, making it strategically important in local political calculations.
Opposition supporters have questioned the competitiveness of the race, particularly following late-stage withdrawals in some wards. There is, however, no formal evidence of coordinated interference, and election officials have maintained that the process complied with the 2022 Electoral Act.
APC representatives described the outcome as a reflection of effective grassroots mobilisation and public confidence in the party’s leadership in the FCT. INEC officials said collation processes across remaining councils were ongoing and urged stakeholders to use established legal channels to address grievances.
For many Abuja residents, the deeper concern is not which party prevailed but why participation continues to shrink. In conversations across Bwari, Gwagwalada, and parts of AMAC, the dominant sentiment was resignation rather than outrage.
One civil servant in Kubwa summed it up quietly. “People do not always protest. Sometimes they just disengage.”
That disengagement may prove more consequential for Abuja’s democratic health than the margin of victory itself.
