There appears to be a political uncertainty in the forth coming FCT Poll as seventy-four candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections are facing possible disqualification following unresolved leadership crises within the party.
This comes as the Labour Party has been completely shut out of the polls, having presented no candidates on the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 22, 2025.
With the Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, INEC documents show that out of the 16 registered political parties, only the LP currently has no candidate cleared for the exercise.
The FCT has 68 elective positions, comprising six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship positions across Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji, and Kwali. The top opposition party, PDP submitted a list of 74 candidates — 12 for chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions and 62 for councillorship seats but the legitimacy of these nominations is now under legal threat. In the LP’s case its exclusion stems from a protracted leadership tussle between the Julius Abure-led faction and the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee, backed by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
INEC has so far refused to recognise the national convention. The leadership battle at the National level of the PDP which erupted between a faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki — elected as the party’s national chairman at the controversial national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16 — and another faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, backed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike plays a bigger role in the FCT poll crisis as some of the party’s candidates in.the two too parties the PDP as wellas the ruling party APC are all enmeshed in varuous legal battles at varuous courts across the country. Given the scenario the FCT poll apoears to be in a tight spot as the stipulated day for the election draws closer.
