FCT Poll: Withdrawal allegations trail Area Council elections in Gwagwalada
Amid allegations of vote-buying and alleged candidate withdrawals, the Area Council elections in Gwagwalada Area Council commenced in earnest with an encouraging voter turnout in many of the polling units
Amid allegations of vote-buying and alleged candidate withdrawals, the Area Council elections in Gwagwalada Area Council commenced in earnest with an encouraging voter turnout in many of the polling units visited.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, information emerged that the APC Chairmanship candidate, Yahaya Usman, had stepped down for his PDP counterpart, Mohammed Kasim, alleging that his decision was anchored on the peace and progress of the area.
Moments later, another letter with almost the same content emerged, allegedly signed by the PDP candidate, stating he had stepped down for the APC candidate.
The two letters dated February 19 titled “withdrawal from contesting for Chairmanship position of Gwagwalada Area Council FCT Election” reads, “I write to respectfully inform you that I, Hon. Usman Yahaya of Kutunku Ward, a member and the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, have decided to voluntarily withdraw from contesting for the Chairmanship position of Gwagwalada Area Council in the forthcoming Area Council Elections scheduled to hold on 21st February. 2026, after due consideration and thorough consultation with my Family and other relevant stakeholders,
“I wish to state unequivocally that this decision to withdraw my candidature is borne out of my own free will. Accept the assurances of my warm regards, please.”
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The said letter of withdrawal of the PDP candidate also has the same content.
The APC Chairmanship candidate who voted at about 9.30 am at the UBE Primary School, Kutunku, however, denied stepping down from the race, while describing the process as peaceful.
In most of the polling units visited in Gwagwalada, many eligible voters were busy searching for their names on the list of voters, while voting progressed successfully
But at the LEA Primary School in Old Kutunku, with about 10 polling units, there were allegations of vote-buying by some of the parties, even though voting was progressing steadily.
The Nation, however, noticed agents of one of the parties accusing each other of not giving out the money they were given, with one of them, who appeared to be their supervisor, saying that enough money was given out.
One of the voters at the polling unit alleged that people were selling their votes for as little as N500 and N3000, depending on how they presented themselves.
