THE candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Kasim, has been declared winner of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election following the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council poll conducted on Saturday, February 21.
Kasim secured 22,165 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Declaring the result, the Returning Officer, Philip Akpen, described the election as peaceful and orderly across polling units in the area council.
He said the area council had 207,577 registered voters, 46,294 accredited voters, 43,960 total valid votes, and 1,521 rejected votes.
Akpen announced the winners with the PDP polling 22,165, APC: 17,788; APGA: 1,687; ADC: 1,366; SDP: 432; NNPP: 175; while other parties got below 200 votes each.
Kasim’s campaign centred on community welfare, women’s empowerment, improved healthcare delivery, and better educational opportunities for children.
Residents who turned out in large numbers to vote told The ICIR that they expected the incoming administration to prioritise the provision of basic services, expressing confidence that the candidate they elected would address their most pressing needs.
In Zuba ward, members of the Persons With Disabilities (PWD) community, Abubakar Yusuf, said voters participated massively because they wanted responsive leadership.
“We have problems of water, light, roads and infrastructure. Many graduates are unemployed. That is why people came out to vote for someone who can listen to the masses,” he said.
He added that residents expected leaders who would be accessible and responsive after elections.
Similarly, a schoolteacher and resident of Zuba Ward, Rukaya Jibril, said that one of the most urgent priorities for the new council leadership was the reactivation of the suspended school feeding programme in Local Education Authority (LEA) primary schools.
“The programme previously helped improve school attendance and reduced the financial burden on low-income families. When the feeding programme was active, our children went to school every day. Now some parents struggle to give them food before classes,” she said.
Residents also called for improvements in healthcare facilities, potable water supply, road rehabilitation, and youth employment programmes.
As the newly elected council leadership prepares to assume office, many voters said the election promises must quickly translate into visible impact.
The ICIR reported that INEC conducted elections across the six area councils of the FCT, namely Gwagwalada, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, and Bwari on February 21.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.