Voters in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, will elect local government chairmen and councillors on Saturday, February 21, 2025. The polls will be held across six area councils: Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
The election serves as a key test for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a party bolstered by a coalition of prominent opposition figures. Candidates from the ADC, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have campaigned vigorously over the past three weeks. The ADC has received high-profile support from figures like Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, who have urged residents to reject the APC.
Dr. Moses Paul, the ADC’s AMAC chairmanship candidate, told Media Talk Africa he was prepared to govern from day one, citing years of grassroots engagement. “Preparation for leadership does not begin a few days before an election,” he said. He framed the contest as a choice for “competence, dignity and accountable leadership” in AMAC. On potential cooperation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Dr. Paul stated his loyalty would remain with AMAC’s residents, adding his ADC membership was “based on conviction rather than convenience.” He also asserted that service, not origin, defines leadership in Abuja.
Residents expressed a clear desire for tangible results over campaign promises. Market traders, shop owners, and civil servants across Bwari, Dutse, and other areas voiced frustration with absentee leadership and a lack of basic infrastructure like roads and water. Many stated they would vote for candidates with proven community knowledge and a record of action, not merely slogans.
The FCT Police Command has imposed a 12-hour movement restriction across Abuja on election day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., to ensure a secure voting process.
The political landscape has shifted significantly in the run-up to the vote. Minister Wike, a PDP member who currently heads the FCT administration, publicly declared his support only for candidates aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision, irrespective of party. He stated he “owes no apology” for this stance and is actively campaigning for APC candidates.
This intervention has directly impacted the PDP’s campaign. In two area councils, PDP candidates have withdrawn from the race and reportedly endorsed their APC opponents. The PDP chairmanship candidate for Bwari, Julius Adamu, stepped down for the APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa. Similarly, Hon. Zadna Dantani, the PDP candidate for AMAC, withdrew in favor of the APC’s Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. The Minister is reported to be central to these decisions, leading to the effective collapse of the PDP’s campaign machinery in those areas.
The February 21 election will determine local leadership for the next four years. It is widely seen as a measure of the opposition’s coordinated strength against the APC in the capital territory, and a verdict on residents’ appetite for change amid intense political realignment.
