APC: victory in FCT, Rivers, Kano a referendum on Tinubu govt

Basking in the euphoria of victory in the weekend elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) described the outcome as a referendum on the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The ruling party swept to victory in the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and in the by-elections into state constituencies in Rivers and Kano states.

In the FCT, the ruling party won five of the six chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the remaining seat.

In Rivers State, the two state constituencies contested – Ahoada East II and Khana – were won by the APC.

In Kano State, the APC also won the two State House of Assembly seats made vacant by the death of the former occupants.

National Chairman of the ruling party, Prof. Nentanwe Yilwatda, said: “The Abuja election, in particular, is a powerful statement by Nigerians from all walks of life that they stand firmly with President Tinubu and his bold reform agenda.

“As residents of the nation’s capital, their verdict sends a strong message of widespread support, renewed hope, and confidence in the ability of this administration to reposition Nigeria for sustainable growth and prosperity.”

President Tinubu, who expressed delight at the outcomes, congratulated the winners, noting that their victories underscored the party’s deep connection with the people.

The President said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, that the victorious candidates should approach their mandates with humility, patriotism and dedication.

He advised them to regard the trust reposed in them by the electorate as sacred and to prioritise service to the people.

President Tinubu also commended the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as remarkable achievements, noting that the developmental strides recorded under his leadership had yielded political dividends for the party.

The President congratulated the APC national leadership and the leadership of the party in Kano and Rivers states for the victories.

He lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and voters for ensuring peaceful elections, stressing that credible polls are the bedrock of sustainable democracy.

President Tinubu said the courage, discipline and sportsmanship displayed by all contestants underscored the vibrancy of Nigeria’s democratic space.

He added, “Democracy is enriched by participation and healthy competition. The successful conduct of the elections further strengthens democratic institutions and public confidence in the electoral process.”

Yilwatda said, “I heartily congratulate our teeming supporters of the APC in the Federal Capital Territory, Kano and Rivers states on the successful, peaceful and credible conduct of the Saturday, February 21, 2026 polls.

“The victories recorded by our great party are a clear testament to the resilience, unity and grassroots strength of the APC.”

He noted that the outcome of the FCT Area Council elections carried special national significance.

Yilwatda also congratulated the newly elected five APC chairmen in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Kuje, Abaji, Bwari and Kwali, noting that their victories underscored the party’s popularity among the people.

He hailed the PDP chairman-elect in Gwagwalada Council, saying democracy prevailed and the will of the people was respected.

Yilwatda also saluted the newly elected four state lawmakers-elect in Kano and Rivers states, describing their success as a reflection of effective party organisation and public trust in APC leadership.

Urging party members to manage the achievements responsibly, he said: “As we celebrate these victories, we must remain united, focused and committed to delivering good governance at all levels.

“The message from the people is clear: they want results, accountability and continued reforms in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda. The APC will not disappoint.”

He also thanked security agencies and election officials for their professionalism.

-Jubilation in Kano
There was jubilation in Kano following the APC’s victory in the by-elections.

The ruling party clinched the two Assembly seats that became vacant following the demise of Sarki Aliyu and Aminu Sa’ad.

There was low voter turnout and a boycott by opposition parties such as the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the PDP and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The NNPP, PDP and ADC were absent from the ballot, leaving the APC to contest against parties including the Accord Party, AAC, ADC, APN, APP, PRP, WPP and ZLP.

Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Abdu Zango, blamed the leadership of the NNPP and PDP for not fielding candidates, stating that INEC was ready to accommodate any party that met the required conditions for participation.

In Kano Municipal Constituency, the APC candidate, Aliyu Nabil Daneji, polled 7,484 votes to win the seat.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Ibrahim Tajo Siraj, announced the results and declared him duly elected.

In Ungogo Constituency, the APC candidate, Aminu Sa’ad, secured 8,975 votes to clinch victory. The Returning Officer, Prof. Ali Tijjani Abdullahi, returned him elected.

Daneji and Sa’ad will represent their constituencies in the Kano State House of Assembly until May 29 next year.

The winners are sons of the lawmakers whose deaths created the vacancies.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf congratulated the winners and praised the peaceful conduct of the polls.

He described the exercise as a milestone in the state’s democratic journey.

In a statement by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature, the governor thanked INEC and the security agencies for ensuring an orderly and hitch-free poll.

He said: “The calm atmosphere across polling units reflects the growing political maturity of our people.”

The governor commended the nine political parties for complying with electoral rules.

“For the first time, we have had a crisis-free election in Kano. This development aligns with our Kano First Agenda,” he said.

Yusuf promised to focus on security and to work with electoral bodies to ensure transparent and credible future elections.

He noted that a new era of issue-based politics anchored on dialogue, tolerance and democratic values had emerged in the state.

-The results
Gwagwalada: APC 17,788; PDP 22,165; APGA 1,682; ADC 1,368. Bwari: APC 18,466; ADC 4,254; ZLP 3,515. Kwali: APC 17,032; PDP 8,575; ADP 3,225; ADC 1,073. Abaji: APC 15,536; PDP 4,547; ADC 37. AMAC: APC 40,295; ADC 12,109; PDP 3,398. Kuje: APC 17,269; PDP 15,824; APGA 4,305; ADC 716.

-APC candidates win in Ahoada East, Khana
The widow of a deceased Rivers State House of Assembly member for Khana State Constituency II, Mrs. Bulabari Loolo, and Ukalikpe Napoleon were declared winners of Saturday’s by-elections in Khana Constituency II and Ahoada East State Constituency II.

Both candidates contested on the platform of the APC.

Mrs. Bulabari polled 7,647 votes to fill the Khana seat vacated by her late husband.

Ukalikpe garnered 3,980 votes to fill the Ahoada East II seat vacated by Edison Ehie, who resigned.

In Ahoada East, the APC was trailed by the Action Party of Nigeria (APN) with 38 votes and the Action Alliance with 33 votes.

Other results showed: Boot Party (BP) 11; NNPP seven; Young Progressives Party (YPP) seven; and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) six votes.

In Khana, the results were: APC 7,647; Action Alliance 46; NNPP 37; YPP 23; and ZLP 47 votes.

-15% voter turnout an improvement on previous polls, says INEC
Voter turnout at Saturday’s Area Council elections in the FCT marked an improvement on previous polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday.

The electoral umpire put the turnout at about 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters.

Besides, the commission explained that the final results from Kuje Area Council were delayed because of the difficult terrain in one of the electoral wards.

In a statement signed by its Acting Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, INEC commended residents of the territory for the peaceful conduct of the elections, while denying that some voters were migrated to other polling units.

He said the difficulty experienced by some voters in locating their polling unit was as a result of the splitting of some polling units to allow for better voter access, adding that none of the voters were migrated away from their former vicinity.

The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted elections on Saturday, 21st February 2026, for the positions of Chairman in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as for 62 Councillorship seats.

“The results of the election were announced late Saturday except that of Kuje Area Council which was announced at 3:30pm on Sunday 22nd February 2026.

“The Commission appreciates the residents of the FCT for their peaceful conduct and cooperation throughout the electoral process.

“According to the Commission’s Election Operations Dashboard, 45% of polling units opened for voting as at 8:30am, while all polling units were confirmed open by 10:00am on Election Day.

“The Commission, however, noted challenges encountered by some voters in locating their designated polling units.

“Contrary to the claim in some quarters that some voters were migrated to another/ new polling units different from their original polling units, the Commission wishes to state categorically that voters were not migrated, what the commission did was to create split polling units in large polling units with voters registration of over 1,250 voters to avoid congestion on election day. The split units are located some few meters away from the original polling units within the same premises.

“The public will recall that the commission displayed the Register of Voters at designated centres/split polling units four days to the Area Council elections to enable voters confirm their details and polling unit locations. Text messages/emails were sent to the affected voters on Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st February 2026 indicating the actual locations of their split polling units, were intended solely as reminders to assist them in identifying their current polling units.

“The commission also wishes to inform the public that as at 2:00pm on Sunday, 22nd February 2026, the upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal had reached 93%. Residents of the FCT and other interested members of the public can access results from the six Area Councils via the portal.

“While the commission remains concerned about voter apathy, it notes a significant improvement compared to the previous election. In the 2022 Area Council election, a total of 148,685 voters were recorded, representing 9.4% of registered voters.

“In the current election, over 239,210 voters voted, representing approximately 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 total registered voters in the FCT.

“The delay in the results of Kuje Area Council is due to the difficult terrain of Kabi ward, which delayed the final collation of the Area Council results.

“The Commission appreciates the electorate in the FCT for their cooperation and participation throughout the process. The participation recorded across the six Area Councils is indicative of citizens’ continued trust in building democracy and the electoral system”.

-CISLAC, TMG raise concerns over voter turnout, logistics in FCT
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) expressed concerns over voter apathy and logistical challenges observed during the elections.

In a statement by CISLAC’s Executive Director and Chairman, TMG, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, who attested to the peaceful polls, warned that declining public engagement could weaken confidence in the electoral process.

The groups also reported delays in the commencement of voting in parts of the FCT, particularly in AMAC) which it attributed to late deployment of personnel and materials.

They also cited accessibility gaps affecting persons with disabilities, especially in rural councils such as Kwali and Abaji, where some polling units were said to be difficult to access. They called on INEC to review its logistics and assistive provisions.

CISLAC and TMG raised concerns about incidents of vote buying, confusion arising from the relocation of some polling units, and reports of restricted access in parts of Rivers State due to heavy security presence.

They urged security agencies to maintain neutrality and professionalism throughout the electoral process.

The groups also called on INEC to clarify issues surrounding the absence of some political parties from the ballot in by- elections conducted in Kano and Rivers states, and to address reported disruptions to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during collation.

They urged electoral authorities to strengthen transparency, ensure timely deployment of materials and improve on inclusiveness ahead of future elections.

-EFCC arrests 20 for alleged fraud, recovers N17m
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 20 suspects for sundry electoral offences in Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) local government elections.

The agency said its operatives intercepted about N17.2 million from the suspects arrested for alleged vote buying and selling.

The suspects are to face prosecution after investigations, the agency’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, said in a statement.

The statement reads: “The suspects were arrested across the FCT, for offences ranging from vote buying, vote selling to obstruction of officers to the tune of N17, 218, 700 only.

“One of the suspects was arrested with a sum of N13, 500,000 in a car parked beside a polling booth in the Kwali local government area.

“Two of the suspects were arrested in Abaji; nine in Gwagwalada; four in Kuje and the remaining four in Kwali. The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.”

-Democracy under siege, says Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, speaking on the exercise complained about the low voter turnout in weekend polls in the FCT Area Councils.

He described the turnout, which averaged below 20 per cent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council recording a shocking 7.8 per cent, as a damning verdict on the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration.

Atiku said in a statement that such abysmal civic participation in the nation’s capital- the symbolic heartbeat of the federation, was not accidental.

He described it as the predictable outcome of a political environment poisoned by intolerance, intimidation, and the systematic weakening of opposition voices.

The ADC chieftain, whose party failed to make an appreciable impact, noted that the Bola Tinubu-led APC government had pursued a deliberate policy of shrinking democratic space, harassing dissenters, coercing defectors, and fostering a climate where alternative political viewpoints are treated as threats rather than contributions to national development.

He said: “When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die. What we are witnessing is not mere voter apathy. It is a direct consequence of an administration that governs with a chokehold on pluralism. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated slowly, steadily, and dangerously.”

Atiku warned that the steady erosion of participatory governance, if left unchecked, could inflict irreversible damage on the democratic fabric painstakingly built over decades.

He said, “A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this chokehold is not released, history will record this era as the period when our hard-won freedoms were traded for fear and conformity.”

Atiku urged opposition parties and democratic forces across the country to urgently close ranks and forge a united front.