Tinubu lauds INEC, Wike as APC wins majority seats in FCT, Rivers, Kano polls
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the winners of Saturday’s elections in the six Federal Capital Territory area councils and the states constituencies of Kano and Rivers parliaments.
This is just as the former vice president and African Democratic Congress (ADC), chieftain, Abubakar Atiku has pummeled the Tinubu’s APC in the handling of the Saturday elections saying that Nigeria’s democracy is under siege even as the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike mocked the opposition and labelled them ’emergency democrats’.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC conducted elections in the Abuja Municipal Council, AMAC, Abaji, Bwari, Kuje, Gwagwalada and Kwali area councils of the FCT and by-elections in the Ahoada East II and Khana II state constituencies of Rivers State, as well as in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State.
President Tinubu urged the winners to serve with humility, patriotism, and dedication and to view the mandate given to them by the people as a sacred trust.
He advised them to regard the mandate given by the electorate as a sacred trust.
The president also commended the courage and discipline displayed by all contestants, saying, “democracy is enriched by active participation and healthy competition.”
The president’s message is contained in a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday in Abuja.
Tinubu specifically commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his remarkable achievements in the territory, which he said have yielded political dividends to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
The President also congratulated the APC national leadership, Kano and Rivers leaderships, and all members of the party on the victories at the polls.
President Tinubu lauds the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and voters for the peaceful and successful conduct of the elections.
He further commends the courage and discipline displayed by all the contestants, stating that democracy is enriched with the vibrancy of participation and competition.
President Tinubu affirms that the successful conduct of the elections further strengthens democratic culture and institutions and calls on INEC to continue improving its efforts to deliver even more exemplary electoral processes.
At the polls, the All Progressives Congress (APC) dominated the February 21, 2026, Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, winning five out of six chairmanship seats.
Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), incumbent Christopher Maikalangu of APC retained his seat with 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid ballots, far ahead of ADC and PDP candidates.
APC also secured Bwari, Kwali, Kuje, and Abaji councils with Joshua Ishaku, Daniel Nuhu, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, and Abdullahi Umar Abubakar emerging victorious.
The only exception was Gwagwalada Area Council, where Hon. Kasim Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeated APC’s Yahaya Shehu with 22,165 votes to 17,788. INEC Returning Officer Philip Akpen declared Mohammed the winner after he met all legal requirements.
About 637 candidates from 17 political parties contested for the 68 positions – 62 councillors and six area council chairpersons. Five of the area councils have 10 wards each, while AMAC has 12
Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) win the two vacant seats in the bye- elections into two state legislature seat of Ahoada East Constituency 2 and Khana Constituency 2., in Rivers State
The candidates of the APC, Ukalikpe Napoleon and Loolo Bulabari Henrietta, were declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted by-elections yesterday.
Declaring the Rivers State by-election results, the Returning Officer, Prof Rosemary Ogbo, said Ukalikpe and Loloo won the highest number of votes cast and satisfied the requirements of the law.
She said the election was duly conducted and keenly contested.
In Ahoada East State Constituency 2, Ogbo announced that the candidate of the Action Alliance, Ego Marvelous, polled 33 votes; Ukalikpe of the APC secured 3,980 votes; while Godstime Egor of the Action Party of Nigeria scored 38 votes.
According to her, Oseja Clifford of Boot Party garnered 11 votes; Ephraim Raphael Ede of the New Nigeria Peoples Party polled seven votes; Ogide Samson Greatman of the Young Progressives Party also secured seven votes; while Kwodu Saturday Prosper of the Zenith Labour Party received six votes.
Ogbo declared that Ukalikpe, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes, was duly returned elected.
“Ukalikpe Napoleon of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” she announced.
For Khana Constituency 2, Loloo was declared winner with a total vote of 7,647 to defeat candidates of the African Alliance, New Nigerian Peoples Party, Young Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party,
Similarly, the minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike on Sunday mocked the opposition parties calling them ’emergency democrats’.
While applauding President Bola Tinubu for the peaceful conduct of the elections, he stated that the outcome has shown to Nigerians the ruling party and the real opposition party in the country.
This comes as the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) won in five of the six area councils of the federal capital territory while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won one.
The area councils won by the APC includes the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Abaji, Kuje and Kwali while the PDP secured their Victory in Gwagwalada area council.
In a special broadcast on national television and radio stations on Sunday evening, the Minister said the peaceful conduct of the election was a testament to the commitment of the people of the FCT to democracy and good governance.
The Minister, who said the election further exposed the hypocrisy of people who go about buying corn and groundnut from roadside sellers for the purpose of campaign just to deceive Nigerians, added that “the residents of FCT demonstrated that they cannot be deceived by emergency democrats, who have chosen not to see anything good in our country and its government.”
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for the development he has brought to the FCT, saying “the election is a reflection of the President’s vision and leadership, and a testimony that the Renewed Hope Agenda has brought optimism and confidence to the people of the FCT.”
The broadcast read in part: “The peaceful conduct of the election is a testament to the commitment of the people of the FCT to democracy and good governance. I thank the residents for believing in the renewed and credible democratic process being championed by the government of President Bola Tinubu.
“To all the candidates who participated in the election, I commend your belief in our democracy. Your participation is a proof of your commitment to ensuring that the voice of the minority is heard, even when it is the majority that will always have its way.
“Most especially, I congratulate the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for their victories.
“This election has indeed shown that Nigerians now know the ruling party and the real opposition party.
“Also, the election has further exposed the hypocrisy of people who go about buying corn and groundnut from roadside sellers for the purpose of campaign just to deceive Nigerians. Yesterday, the residents of FCT demonstrated that they cannot be deceived by emergency democrats, who have chosen not to see anything good in our country and its government.
“I thank Mr President for the development he has brought to the FCT. This election is a reflection of the President’s vision and leadership, and a testimony that the Renewed Hope Agenda has brought optimism and confidence to the people of the FCT.
“No doubt, the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to improving the lives of Nigerians, particularly the residents of the FCT, has not gone unnoticed. The Renewed Hope Agenda has given us hope for a brighter future, and we are confident that under his leadership, the FCT will continue to be a model of development and progress.
“Most especially, I commend the President for standing firm in his defense of democracy, particularly in ensuring the amendment of the Electoral Act to strengthen the conduct of credible elections. This demonstrates his commitment to improving our democratic process.
“At this juncture, I also congratulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free, fair, and credible election. This is a reflection of President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening our democratic institutions and ensuring that our electoral processes are transparent and reliable.
“I commend the security agencies for their dedication to duty, ensuring the peaceful conduct of the election. Their efforts have contributed to the success of this democratic exercise.
“To the winners of the elections, I congratulate you on your victory. You have been given a mandate to serve the people, and I urge you to do so with humility, dedication, and commitment to excellence. Work tirelessly to improve the lives of the residents, and bring development to our communities.
“To the residents of the FCT, especially those in the satellite towns, I once again commend you for coming out in large numbers to exercise your franchise, and for doing so in a peaceful and orderly manner. Your participation affirms your trust in our democracy and I urge you to continue to support the government in its efforts to build a better FCT.
“As an administration, we pledge to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to FCT residents, in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”
But in another development, while reacting to the conduct of the elections, former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar 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 Tinubu administration.
According to Atiku, such abysmal civic participation in the nation’s capital- the symbolic heartbeat of the federation is not accidental.
He said “it is the predictable outcome of a political environment poisoned by intolerance, intimidation, and the systematic weakening of opposition voices.”
He noted that the Bola Tinubu-led APC government has 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.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” Atiku stated. “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.”
He warned that the steady erosion of participatory governance, if left unchecked, could inflict irreversible damage on the democratic fabric painstakingly built over decades.
“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.”
The former Vice President called on opposition parties and democratic forces across the country to urgently close ranks and forge a united front.
“This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic. The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now.”
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