THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Bwari Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
The declaration came amid low voter turnout, complaints of voter names mix-ups and reports of arrests over alleged vote buying that marred the exercise.
The Returning Officer for the election, Mohammed Nurudeen, announced the result on Sunday at the collation centre in Bwari.
“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship election held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said while declaring the results as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Ishaku polled 18,466 votes to defeat his closest challengers. The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes to place second, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate garnered 3,515 votes to finish third.
The election was conducted across the 10 wards of Bwari Area Council Igu, Shere, Dutse, Ushafa, Byazhin, Kuduru, Kubwa, Usuma, Bwari Central and Kawu.
Low turnout in several polling units
Several reports from Dutse Alhaji and other parts of the council indicated low voter participation, especially in the early hours of the poll. In some centres, INEC officials were seen seated and waiting as of after 10:00 a.m., with only a handful of residents arriving for accreditation and voting.
Accreditation and voting in many units commenced around 9:00 a.m., but turnout remained poor in several locations, reinforcing concerns about voter apathy in the FCT’s area council elections.
At Polling Unit 076 in Big Cele Settlement, Dutse Alhaji, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recorded a sweeping victory.
In the chairmanship contest at the unit, the PDP secured 74 votes, while the APC polled two votes and the ADC garnered three. In the councillorship race, the PDP recorded 75 votes, with the APC and ADC garnering four and two votes respectively.
Gbenga Hashim, a PDP presidential aspirant, won his polling unit. Speaking shortly after the declaration of results there, he thanked residents for what he described as peaceful participation and grassroots engagement.
“This victory belongs to the people. It reflects consistent engagement, listening leadership, and our shared commitment to progress at the grassroots,” he said.
The outcome at Big Cele came amid heightened political tension ahead of the poll, including claims that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, influenced the withdrawal of a PDP candidate on the eve of the election .
Beyond low turnout, some residents reportedly complained of difficulties in locating their names on the voter register despite possessing valid voter cards.
In a few polling units, voters were seen seeking help from officials to verify their details. This caused brief delays before voting commenced fully.
The Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, who cast his vote at Tokulo Primary School polling unit in his village, acknowledged the low turnout but expressed optimism that participation would improve as the day progressed.
“Elections started as scheduled. While turnout is not impressive at the moment,” he said.
The ICIR reports that Bwari election also followed a political shift ahead of the contest.
Julius Adamu, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Bwari Area Council, had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Ishaku before the poll.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M