GWAGWALADA, FCT – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election, following the polls held on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Kasim secured 22,165 votes, defeating his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes. The victory marks a significant shift in the council, as the PDP gains ground in several satellite areas across the Federal Capital Territory.
INEC Under Fire for ‘One-Voter’ Polling Unit
Despite the successful declaration of results, INEC is facing severe criticism for what observers describe as a “gross misuse” of electoral resources. At Polling Unit 065, Garki Geological Garden in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the commission reportedly deployed a full team—including three presiding officers, security agents, and party representatives—for only one registered voter.
Despite the deployment of full electoral infrastructure, the sole registered voter did not turn out to cast their ballot. Critics pointed out that a nearby unit with over 100 registered voters recorded much higher activity, suggesting that the resources wasted on the single-voter unit could have been better allocated to assist busier locations. This situation has been highlighted as a prime example of inefficient planning and a waste of public funds.
Senator Kingibe Decries ‘Extreme’ Voter Apathy
The election was further marred by historically low participation in the city centre. The Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, expressed deep disappointment over the turnout, describing the empty polling units as “a great shame.”
“There is extreme voter apathy. Nobody is turning out to vote,” she stated, attributing the lack of engagement to a combination of voter disillusionment and the controversial movement restrictions imposed on the eve of the election.
FCT Election Highlights
- Gwagwalada: Mohammed Kasim (PDP) – WINNER with 22,165 votes.
- AMAC: Christopher Maikalangu (APC) – WINNER with 40,295 votes.
- Abaji: Musa Biliyanmu (PDP) – WINNER.
- Kuje: Zacharia Danlami (PDP) – WINNER.
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and other civil society groups have called for an urgent review of INEC’s polling unit distribution to prevent similar logistical failures in future cycles.
