PDP Clinches Gwagwalada Council as Kasim Defeats APC Rival in FCT Poll

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Kasim, has been declared winner of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election conducted on Saturday as part of the Federal Capital Territory’s local government polls.

The result was announced in the early hours of Sunday by the Returning Officer appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Philip Akpen, who said Kasim polled 22,165 votes to emerge victorious.

According to Akpen, Kasim defeated his closest challenger, Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 17,788 votes, while Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance came third with 1,687 votes.

The returning officer described the election as peaceful and smoothly conducted across the area council.

He formally declared the winner, saying, “I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on February 21, 2026.

“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

The Gwagwalada chairmanship election was part of the wider local government polls conducted across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory — Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali — for both chairmanship and councillorship positions.

Official figures released by INEC showed that Gwagwalada Area Council recorded 207,577 registered voters, out of which 46,294 were accredited for the election.

A breakdown of the results showed that Accord polled 151 votes; Action Alliance, 116; African Democratic Congress, 1,366; Action Democratic Party, 128; APC, 17,788; APGA, 1,687; Allied Peoples Movement, 24; New Nigeria Peoples Party, 175; PDP, 22,165; Social Democratic Party, 432; and Young Progressives Party, 158 votes.

The total number of valid votes cast in the election stood at 43,960, while 1,521 votes were rejected.