FCT Area Council Polls: Why 2 PDP chairmanship candidates stepped down, endorsed APC rivals
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Two out of the six Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidates contesting the Saturday, February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections have stepped down and endorsed their All Progressives Congress (APC) rivals.
The PDP candidate for Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, stepped down on Wednesday for APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa. Less than 24 hours later, his counterpart in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Zadna Dantani, followed suit by withdrawing in favour of APC incumbent Christopher Maikalangu.
Both candidates cited “fatherly advice” from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike as the reason for their decisions.
However, findings by Daily Trust allege that the aspirants were induced and coerced into abandoning their ambitions. According to the newspaper, quoting unnamed stakeholders, the APC lacked confidence in its chances and resorted to pressuring opposition candidates to withdraw or defect.
“You recall how they went after governors to join their parties, and now what they’re doing is to coerce people to withdraw from elections because they know they can be defeated,” one observer quoted by the newspaper said.
A high-ranking PDP member in the FCT, who spoke anonymously, described the external interference as feeling more like a threat than negotiation.
“We understand they reached our Bwari candidate through a certain chairman, and the candidate was allegedly promised certain inducements, including appointments,” the source claimed.
The chieftain further alleged that similar tactics were used in AMAC to pressure Dantani into stepping down for Maikalangu.
However, he noted that attempts to apply the same methods in Gwagwalada, Abaji, Kwali, and Kuje failed, as those PDP candidates stood firm.”
