APC candidate challenges PDP’s victory in FCT chairmanship ballot

The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Yahaya Usman, have filed a petition difficult the result of the February 21, 2026, chairmanship election in Gwagwalada Space Council, Abuja.

Within the petition marked FCT/ACEPT/EP/02/2026 and obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the petitioners are contesting the declaration of Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party because the winner by the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee.

INEC had declared Kasim the winner of the ballot with 22,165 votes, whereas Usman polled 17,788 votes.

The petitioners are searching for the nullification of the election on three main grounds, together with alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, corrupt practices, and the declare that the declared winner didn’t safe the vast majority of lawful votes solid.

In line with the petition, the election, performed throughout 10 wards and 338 polling models in Gwagwalada Space Council, was marred by widespread irregularities involving electoral officers.

The APC and its candidate alleged that the ends in at the least six polling models had been mutilated and altered to match the variety of accredited voters and conceal circumstances of over-voting. These affected polling models had been unfold throughout Kutunku, Ibwa, Tungan Maje, and Ikwa wards.

The petition learn, “That the results of 6 polling models in 4 wards i.e., Kutunku (code: 02); Ibwa (code: 04); Tunga Maje (code: 07); and Ikwa (code:09), issued to the Petitioners by the first Respondent on request as entered in Kinds EC8A collection by the presiding officers of the first Respondent had been altered, modified, outcomes suppressed or inflated to keep away from over-voting in breach of the Electoral Act, 2026 and the Electoral Laws and Electoral Guideline.

“That there have been additionally incidences of cancellations on the face of ends in Kinds EC8A that had been manifestly carried out in 6 polling models through the Gwagwalada Space Council Chairmanship Election. ”

They additional claimed that in two polling models, votes scored by the APC had been intentionally suppressed throughout collation.

The petition additionally cited 102 polling models the place substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act allegedly occurred, alongside eight polling models the place officers reportedly engaged in end result manipulation, together with erasures, cancellations, and re-writing of figures on end result sheets.

“That apart the 102 Polling Items the place substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026 occurred within the 2026 Gwagwalada Chairmanship Election held on the twenty first of February, 2026, there are additionally 8 polling models the place electoral officers of the third Respondent engaged in corrupt practices and irregularities by mutilating, erasing, cancelling and re-rewriting the figures within the outcomes sheet with the purpose of altering, altering to keep away from the implications of over-voting, in addition to suppressing outcomes and inflation of votes”, the petition added.

As well as, the petitioners alleged wrongful accreditation of voters in 71 polling models throughout six wards, accusing electoral officers of failing to correctly tick voters’ particulars within the register as required by legislation.

They argued that regardless of these irregularities, INEC proceeded to collate and depend on the affected votes in declaring the PDP candidate because the winner.

The petition additional highlighted incidents of over-voting in 31 polling models, the place figures recorded exceeded the variety of accredited voters. It said {that a} complete of 1,289 votes for APC and three,236 votes for PDP in these models must be thought of invalid.

After deducting the disputed votes, the petitioners calculated that APC would have 16,499 legitimate votes, whereas PDP would have 18,929 votes, leaving a margin of two,430 votes.

They argued that the margin of lead is considerably decrease than the 21,289 registered voters within the affected polling models, thereby warranting the cancellation of the outcomes and probably a recent election.

The petitioners are urging the tribunal to invalidate the election outcomes and decide the rightful winner in accordance with the legislation.