PDP Wins AMAC Despite Losing Villa

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), despite losing the Aso Rock Villa voting zone, the seat of power in last Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had defeated the PDP at the two polling units located in the presidential villa; 021 and 022 located in AMAC.

At polling unit 021, the ruling party polled 84 votes to defeat the opposition party which secured 30 votes for the councillorship election and 79 votes to win PDP that secured 36.

In the polling unit 022, APC scored 41 votes, while the PDP secured 33 in the chairmanship contest and for the councillorship contest in the same polling unit, APC won the contest after securing 45 votes to defeat the PDP which got 30.

Also within the villa, the only person that turned up to vote at the newly created polling unit 120 who did not want name mentioned, voted for PDP in both councillorship and chairmanship polls.

BusinessDay gathered that in the villa poll zone, known for voting a party other than that of a sitting president, voters who were mobilised to register during the voter registration were allegedly brought in a coastal bus to vote during the election.

All in all, both the ruling APC and the main opposition PDP at the end of the collation and declaration of the election results, won three each out of the six area councils in the territory.

While PDP won in the cosmopolitan area councils of AMAC, Kuje and Bwari, the APC cleared the outskirts ones in Abaji, Gwagwalada and Kwali.

The PDP candidate, Suleman Sabo emerged winner of the Kuje Area Council chairmanship election, having polled a total of 13, 301 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sarki Hamidu of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who scored 7,694 votes to emerge second.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer for the Kuje Area Council chairmanship election, Sule Magaji, announced the final results of the polls on Sunday morning.

In Bwari Area council, the PDP candidate, John Gabaya was declared winner with 13,045 votes to defeat his closest rival, Audi Shekwolo of the APC who scored 7,697 votes as announced by the INEC returning officer, Amochi Madu.

The PDP also won the chairmanship seat for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) as its candidate, Christopher Zakka scored 19,302 votes to defeat his closest rival, Murtala Karshi of the APC who garnered 13,240 votes.

Zakka was, therefore, declared winner and returned elected as the chairman of AMAC by the returning officer for the area council, Sanni Saka, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Abuja.

On the other hand, the APC won the Gwagwalada Council chairmanship as the party’s candidate, Jubrin Abubakar polled the highest votes of 11,125 to defeat his main challenger, Mohammed Kassim of the PDP with 9,597 votes as declared by the INEC returning officer, Iliyasu Umar.

Also, INEC declared the candidate of the APC, Abdulrahman Ajiya as the winner of the Abaji Area Council chairmanship race.

The INEC returning officer, Simon Malaka, who announced the result, said Ajiya, the incumbent chairman, scored the highest votes of 13,442 to defeat his closest rival, Muhammad Ashafa of the PDP, who polled 10,473 votes.

After initial delay, INEC in the afternoon declared APC as the winner of the Kwali Area Council as its candidate, Danladi Chiya defeated his closest rival, Haruna Pai of the PDP, to win the keenly contested election.

The INEC returning officer for Kwali Area Council, Wesley Daniel who made the announcement said, Chiya polled 7,646 votes while Pai got 7,345 votes.