The splinter faction of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to Turaki and Governor Makinde has congratulated candidates declared successful in last Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, even as it announced plans to challenge the outcome of the polls in court.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, described the election as flawed but acknowledged the victories of candidates declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“We specifically congratulate the Chairman-elect of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kasim, and the Councillors who have been declared successful by the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the statement read.
Spear News Nigeria reports that the PDP won one local government out of six contested by various political parties.
The faction, however, alleged widespread irregularities, including what it described as “unprecedented intimidation, high-powered money politics and brazen executive brigandage” during the conduct of the elections across the six local government areas of the territory.
“Reports and video evidence abound where armed security personnel were used to cart away result sheets in polling units, intimidate voters, and unduly influence the outcome of the elections,” the statement claimed.
To address these grievances, the group announced the inauguration of a special legal team headed by its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, Esq., tasked with assisting candidates who have genuine complaints arising from the elections.
“Delay is fatal in election petition cases,” the statement warned, urging affected candidates to immediately contact the National Legal Adviser for prompt action.
The faction also used the opportunity to comment on the low voter turnout that characterised the council polls, attributing the apathy to what it called the “anti-people Electoral Act 2026.”
“The incredible voter apathy in these polls is a direct response to the anti-people Electoral Act 2026, where the people have completely lost faith in the electoral outcomes from elections conducted under this Act,” the statement said.
It warned that the FCT council elections may be a foreshadowing of the 2027 general elections “if changes are not urgently made,” adding that there is still time for the National Assembly and the President to correct the wrongdoing and “save our democracy from collapse.”
The faction did not provide specific evidence to substantiate its allegations of electoral malpractice, nor did it specify which candidates would be pursuing legal action or the grounds upon which such petitions would be filed.
INEC has yet to respond to the allegations contained in the statement.
The FCT council elections held on February 21, 2026, saw the All Progressives Congress winning five of the six area councils, with the PDP faction securing only Gwagwalada. The African Democratic Congress, which had entered the contest with high hopes of making a statement ahead of 2027, failed to win any council chairmanship seat.
The PDP has in recent months been embroiled in internal leadership disputes, with factions aligning with different power blocs within the party. The Turaki faction represents one of the tendencies in the ongoing crisis that has divided the party’s National Working Committee.
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