Umar Idris Shuaibu, Kano
In what appears to be a sweeping political realignment, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is making a strong push to dominate the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This momentum was underscored on Thursday during the “Abuja Unity Rally” held at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja, where the ruling party officially received the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, alongside his elected councilors and thousands of supporters from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) across the six area councils of the FCT.
The defectors were welcomed by members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), led by National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, along with serving and former ministers, ex-Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, and other prominent leaders from the FCT and North Central region.
Addressing the crowd, Dr. Ganduje emphasized the strategic importance of the FCT and vowed that it would no longer remain under opposition control.
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“With this new political realignment, the APC is on course to produce the FCT’s only Senator, its two House of Representatives members, and all six area council chairmen,” Ganduje declared.
He hailed the defection of Maikalangu and his team as a major political shift. “Today, we are witnessing the formal entrance of a political giant—the chairman of AMAC, the most popular local government in the FCT—along with all his elected and appointed councilors and thousands of supporters into our great party,” he said.
Ganduje also confirmed that defectors from Bwari, Kuje, Abaji, Kwali, and Gwagwalada area councils had joined the APC.
“What remains now? Almost all the politicians and over 60 percent of the people in the FCT are now with the APC,” he added.
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Minister of Special Duties, Hon. Zaphaniah Jisalo, the political leader of the territory, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his inclusive approach, particularly towards Abuja indigenes. He cited his appointment to the Federal Executive Council as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment.
Also speaking, Minister of State for FCT, Hajia Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, urged residents to continue supporting the APC-led administration, stating that the government is actively working to improve their welfare.
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, speaking on behalf of former APC governors, asserted that there would be “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be overwhelmingly re-elected to continue the good work he is doing,” Bello said. He called on aggrieved party members to reconcile and unite, stressing that only those within the APC can influence the system. “If you leave the APC and make demands from outside, you are simply making noise,” he said.
APC FCT Chairman, Hon. Abdulmalik Usman, assured that the party under his leadership would intensify efforts to fully take over the political structure of the FCT ahead of 2027.
The Labour Party has largely controlled the FCT since the 2023 general elections.
