APC Retains AMAC as Maikalangu Clinches Chairmanship Seat

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election.

Announcing the results at the collation centre, the AMAC Collation Officer, Andrew Abue, said Maikalangu, who is the incumbent chairman, emerged victorious after polling the highest number of votes cast in the election.

According to Abue, Maikalangu secured 40,295 votes out of the 62,861 valid votes recorded. The African Democratic Congress finished second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party garnered 3,398 votes.

He disclosed that a total of 65,197 votes were cast, including 2,336 rejected ballots, while the number of accredited voters stood at 65,676 out of 837,338 registered voters in AMAC.

“That Maikalangu of the APC, having certified the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Abue said.

A breakdown of votes cast for the 12 political parties that participated in the poll showed varied levels of support across the council. Agbon Vaniah of Accord polled 403 votes; Nemiebika Tamunomiesam of Action Alliance scored 108 votes; Paul Ogidi of the African Democratic Congress secured 12,109 votes; while Richard Elizabeth of the Action Democratic Party received 588 votes.

Christopher Maikalangu of the APC led the field with 40,295 votes, followed by Eze Chukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance with 1,111 votes. Chukwu Promise of the Allied Peoples Movement polled 122 votes; Ugoh Michael of the Action Peoples Party got 32 votes; and Thomas Happiness of the Boot Party recorded 43 votes.

Jibrin Alhassan of the New Nigeria Peoples Party received 1,694 votes; Samson Usani of the National Rescue Movement polled 73 votes; while Dantani Zanda of the PDP garnered 3,398 votes. Iber Shimakaha of the Peoples Redemption Party had 90 votes; Simon Obinna of the Social Democratic Party scored 2,185 votes; Madaki Robert of the Young Progressives Party secured 421 votes; and Swani Buba of the Zenith Labour Party recorded 189 votes.

Reacting to the announcement, the APC collation agent, Gambo Babale, described the election and collation exercise as credible and transparent.

“INEC has done so well. We’ve seen the processes across all the polling units, the ward coalition centres and here at AMAC area council coalition centre. Everything was done perfectly well.

“They’ve tried. They’ve done everything humanly possible. I believe this high level of transparency occurred in all the coalition’s exercise that took place in AMAC.

“PDP won about two ward councillors, Karu and Karishi. That is to tell you the level of transparency that happens in this election,” he said.

Babale congratulated Maikalangu on the victory, noting that the mandate placed on him was an opportunity to deliver more dividends of democracy to residents of the council. He added that the outcome of the poll signalled the APC’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

Also speaking, the Young Progressives Party ward collation agent, Abdullahi Ibrahim, commended the conduct of the process, describing it as transparent, while congratulating the winner.

Result sheets from the election were signed by party agents of the ADC, APC, APGA, YPP and NNPP who were present at the collation centre.