FCT Polls: Crisis Rocks APC Over Alleged Plan To Drop Chairmanship Candidate

Crisis is rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Bwari area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over an alleged plan to remove Hon. Joshua Ishaku as the party’s chairmanship candidate for the 2026 area council elections in the territory.

Ishaku was declared the APC chairmanship candidate for Bwari at a primary election held in June. Still, the party’s Election Appeal Committee allegedly recommended that he be dropped as the standard bearer.
Consequently, the APC stakeholders forum in the Bwari area council has rejected the move, saying it will lead to the party’s implosion as the development is already causing tension among members.

The forum’s chairman, Hon Musa Dikko, a former chairman of the Bwari area council and the secretary, Hon. Shuaibu Musa, also the secretary of the APC in the area council, stated this in Abuja on Thursday.

They appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the party leadership to guarantee that justice and fairness prevail by ensuring that the candidate who emerged victorious during the primary election is given the party’s ticket. This would contain the rising tension and ensure the party’s victory at the polls.

The forum noted that APC was founded on high political, moral ground, accountability, transparency, openness and called on the party leadership to intervene in the matter to ensure that the right thing is seen to be done for peace to reign.

“As part of preparing for the Abuja area councils election, the ruling party conducted a primary election in the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory on June 25th this year.The delegates chose Hon Joshua Ishaku, polling all 33 votes to clinch the ruling party’s Bwari area council chairmanship ticket.

“However, one of the aspirants, Hon. Haruna Audi Shekwolo, who scored zero votes, protested the primary election outcome. He took the matter to the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying the court would overturn the election result, but failed because of a lack of evidence.

“He later petitioned and lobbied the party’s Appeal Committee, which stepped in by looking into the row. The manner in which the committee conducted the matter and its outcome have drawn the anger of most party members in the area council, who have accused the committee of bias, injustice and compromise,” they said.

The forum also alleged that the committee’s approach was kangaroo in nature and lacked due process, credibility, political correctness, and integrity, which, according to the statement, APC has been known for.

They further stated that accepting the committee’s recommendation of dropping a candidate who won with all the votes cast during the primary would tarnish the party’s good image not only at the area council but also in the country.

“Article 20 of the party’s constitution provides that an Election Appeal Committee shall investigate complaints by inviting the petitioner and all parties involved to present their cases to ensure a fair hearing and justice.

“The committee deliberately skipped these basic steps. No one invited Hon Joshua, the winner of the primary election, yet the committee went ahead to make erroneous recommendations.”

“This is about the future of APC and the imperative need of presenting a popular candidate who has the political and intellectual capacity to win the forthcoming council election and be able to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to win the 2027 presidential election,” the forum added.