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  • FCT POlls: Victory in AMAC Good Signal for 2023, says PDP

    FCT POlls: Victory in AMAC Good Signal for 2023, says PDP

    By Joyce Babayeju

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described its return to power in the Abuja Municipal Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a sign of victory for the 2023 general elections.

    The PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, in a statement he issued on Sunday, in Abuja, said that the victory in the FCT area council election would be replicated in the Osun and Ekiti states governors’ elections.

    “What we have just achieved in Abuja, the seat of power, will be replicated in Ekiti and Osun states later this year, culminating in our take-over of power at the centre next year, to usher in a better, more prosperous and secure Nigeria.

    “PDP is back to rescue Nigeria and the rescue begins from the seat of power in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT”, he added.

    Ayu said that the victory in AMAC was “a great omen” under his watch as his leadership would lead PDP back to winning ways and rebuilding Nigeria.”

    “The victory of our great party, the PDP, signposts the promise of a better Nigeria under my watch, leading this team of dedicated and committed party members.

    “The victory at the FCT polls of Saturday, Feb. 12, represents a great omen under my watch, as we lead PDP back to winning ways and rebuilding Nigeria.”

    He said that the victory to PDP was the important AMAC, because it was a signal that Nigerians desired to return PDP to power.

    Christopher Zakka, the PDP candidate, polled 19,302 votes as against the 13,240 votes of his closest rival, Murtala Usman of the APC, to win the election.

    “This victory is dedicated to all leaders of our party, particularly the state governors, NEC members, NWC members as well as the millions of party members across the nation”, Ayu said.

  • Area Council Polls: PDP clears AMAC, BWARI, KUJE Councils, as APC retains Gwagwalada

    Area Council Polls: PDP clears AMAC, BWARI, KUJE Councils, as APC retains Gwagwalada

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has cleared three Area Councils as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the candidates for Abuja Municipal, Kuje and Bwari Area Councils winners out of the councils announced so far.

    The Returning Officer for Chairmanship Election in the municipal area council Professor Sani Saka declared Mr Christopher Zaka of PDP who polled 19, 302 to defeat his closest rival Mr Murtala karshi of All Progressives Congress APC who scored 13, 340 with a margin lead of 5962.

    Also PDP Candidate, John Gabaya won the Chairmanship election in Bwari Area Council as the Returning Officer Professor Amuche Madu declared his votes of 13045 to defeat his closest rival Mr Haruna Shekwolo of All Progressives Congress APC who scored 7697.

    He was then returned elected having met the requirements of the Constitution and the electoral law.

    Meanwhile,the All Progressives Congress candidate for Gwagwalada Area Council, Jubrin Abubakar, polled 11,125 votes to defeat his opponent, Mohammed Kassim of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 9,597 votes. Chairman (Gwagwalada) Total Valid Votes 21,037, Rejected Votes 739.Total Votes Cast 21,776
    AAC 22 NIRSAL AD
    ADC 81.APC 11,125.
    APGA 106. APM 37.
    Labour 40, PDP 9,597
    PRP 26. SDP.

    However, The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Kuje Area Council Suleman Sabo, was declared winner of the election.

    The INEC Returning Officer, Sule Mahaji, announced the result on Sunday morning.

    Sabo polled a total of 13,301 votes against his closest rival, Sarki Hamidu, of the All Progressives Congress who polled 7,694 votes.

    With a total margin of 5,607 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sabo has returned to serve a second term in office as chairman of Kuje Council Area.
    FCT election results:

    Kuje Central (ward 01)
    APC- 1717
    PDP-3671

    Chibiri ( ward 02)

    APC- 1,172
    PDP–1,839
    Gaube (ward 03)
    APC – 1793
    PDP -2,226
    Kwaku ( ward 04)
    APC :562
    PDP :1450
    Kabi (ward 05)
    APC- 271
    PDP-433
    Rubochi (ward 06)
    APC – 1047

    PDP – 1506
    Gwargwada (ward 07)
    APC- 365
    PDP-583
    Gudrun Karya ( ward 08)
    APC -420
    PDP -1032
    Kujekwa (ward 09)
    APC-76
    PDP:106
    Yenche ( ward 10)
    APC:271
    PDP:455

    Collation of results from Kwali and Abaji Area Councils are ongoing as at the time of filling this report.

  • Confusion as two candidates lay claim to AMAC ticket in APC

    Confusion as two candidates lay claim to AMAC ticket in APC

    There is confusion in the ruling All Progressives Congress in the Federal Capital Territory as two candidates claim the chairmanship ticket of the party in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

    Two candidates, Sulaimon Gwagwa and Muritala Karshi have been campaigning at the different parts of FCT.

    The two candidates had on many occasions claimed to be the candidate of the party.

    According to reports, Gwagwa won the primary election with 109 votes while his closest challenger, Karshi scored 103 votes.

    It was gathered that Karshi challenged the matter in court and won. Gwagwa appealed at the Appeal Court, the court ruled in his favour. Karshi, however, approached the Supreme Court.

    However, checks by our correspondent revealed that Karshi’s name was on the Independent National Electoral Commission list.

    Speaking with our correspondent, the chairman of the APC in FCT, Abdulmalik Usman, said there was little the party could do as the matter was at the Supreme Court.

    He added that the party gave them the nod to go about their campaigns.

    Usman said, “When you have a party that is strong you would see people struggling to be its candidate. There is little we can do because the issue is before the supreme court, we hope the apex court gives its ruling and declares one of them the owner of the ticket.

    “But what we are doing as a party is to allow the two of them to campaign. It is the logo of the party that appears on the ballot paper and not the candidates’ names. Whoever gets the ticket in court would be our candidate for the election.”

    When asked if the situation would not affect the chances of the party at the poll, he said, “It would not. The PDP candidate cannot withstand any of the two candidates. Besides, we are on the ground in the area council.

    “Also, none of them has asked their supporters not to vote for APC. This is not happening for the first time. In 2007, we had two National Assembly candidates, the APC won and one of them got the mandate.

    “No one should worry about what is happening. The two should carry on with their campaigns and work for the victory of the party in the area council.”

  • Minister commissions 30 Operational vehicles in AMAC to tackle insecurity

    Minister commissions 30 Operational vehicles in AMAC to tackle insecurity

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has commissioned 30 units of operational vehicles donated to commands and divisions of the Nigeria Police Force by the Abuja Municipal Area Council, (AMAC) in Abuja to tackle insecurity in the territory.

    Aliyu disclosed that the donation was part of the AMAC Chairman Adamu Candido’s contribution in assisting the police force in fighting crimes within the area council in particular and the Federal Capital Territory.

    She pointed out that the increasing reliance on technology has made it essential to secure every aspect of the environment, noting that security begins with good prevention and basic knowledge.”

    Aliyu also explained that since the outbreak of the coronavirus and government declaration of state of emergency, commercial burglaries have almost doubled in major cities across Nigeria, adding that in times like these, swift and smart operations are more important than ever.

    In this wise, the handing over of these operational vehicles is in line with our mandate not just to deliver dividends of democracy to our people, but also to protect lives and property of citizens, she stressed.

    Furthermore the minister reiterated the FCT Administration’s commitment in the provisions of basic amenities, as well as maintain the existing ones, while tasking residents to justify government’s investment in their communities.

    She commended the leadership of Abuja Municipal Area Council for equipping the police in fighting crimes, as she called on residents to assist the police with useful informations that would aid them for the overall peaceful coexistence of their various councils.

    Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, explained that the purpose for the donation of the security vehicles to the police formation is to collaborate with other actors in the fight against crimes overwehelming the nation’s capital.

    The AMAC boss stressed that the creation of AMAC Marshal Guards, a security outfit is geared towards tackling the security challenges in the council and ultimately to provide intelligence gathering to other conventional security outfits, engaging in surveillance activities and rendering security services.

    Candido revealed that since the creation of AMAC Marshals in 2016, the outfit has employed not less than 600 youths from the council, noting that the increasing unemployment rate has heightened insecurity in the society.

    According to him, “this has helped to reduce unemployment rate of our youths drastically and has also lessened criminal activities within the council”.

    The highpoint of the event was the official handing over of the keys to the Inspector General of Police by the FCT Minister of State.

  • AMAC proposes N10b 2021 Budget

    AMAC proposes N10b 2021 Budget

    The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Abdullahi Candido has presented the council’s 2021 budget proposal in the tune of N10,087, 228, 268 billion to its legislative arm.

    Presenting the budget at the council’s legislative chambers in Abuja on Wednesday, Candido said the 2021 Budget tagged “Budget of Resilience,’ was aimed at bringing to the doorstep of every resident of the council, the dividends of democracy.

    He said despite the setbacks experienced by the council last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his administration was committed to rural transformation.

    The council chief said his administration had, however, allocated N4.37 billion for recurrent expenditure, representing 43.33 per cent and N5.71 billion for capital expenditure, representing 56.67 per cent of the budget.

    He added that the personnel cost is N2.75 billion, representing 28.56 per cent, while the overhead cost is N1.46 billion representing 14.77 per cent.

    Candido added that the increase in personnel cost is as a result of expected promotion of some members of staff and the proposed minimum wage increase as well as minimum wage arrears.

    On capital expenditure, he added that the thrust of AMAC capital projects this year will be the completion of many ongoing projects rather than initiating new ones.

  • Suspension: AMAC Chairman calls for calm, patience

    Suspension: AMAC Chairman calls for calm, patience

    Mr Abdullahi Candido, Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has urged residents of the council to be calm and patient following the purported news of his suspension.
    Candido, who said this while briefing newsmen, noted that the decision taken by members of the legislative arm ‘remained a figment of their imagination’.
    He noted that due process in his investigation for alleged misappropriation of funds levelled against him was not followed by the councillors.
    “I was summoned by the councillors for the first time, of which I did and I was asked to speak on the allegations.
    “I was told that a committee would be put in place to investigate the issue and I assured them of my full support.
    “Only for me to be told to take a bow and go, and the next I heard is that I have been suspended, which is unconstitutional.
    “I want to urge the people and residents of this council to be calm and patient and not take laws into their hands as I remain their chairman,” he said.
    Meanwhile, Mr Majidadi Haruna, Clark of the council’s legislative chamber, noted that the legislative proceedings for the day were not concluded as the proceedings were disrupted by unknown individuals.
    He added that due process was not also followed by the councillors as he was not notified to write to the chairman to inform him of his suspension.
    “The chairman was invited for questioning and he appeared at the chamber at exactly 2p.m. as directed.
    “After he was done he was asked to take a bow and go and was appreciated for showing respect to the legislative arm by honouring their call.
    “Surprisingly, a councillor representing Karu ward raised a motion that the chairman be suspended which was seconded by the councillor representing Karshi ward.
    “It was at that moment that some politicians disrupted the sitting because I was not given any directive to write to the chairman formally,” he said.
    The chairman was suspended for two weeks by some members of the legislative arm of the council on Jan. 30.
    According to them, the decision was taken to allow easy investigation of misappropriation of funds levelled against him by a civil society organization (CSO).
    The CSO, with the name Civil Society for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, in a petition dated Jan. 21 and submitted to the legislative chambers accused the chairman of ‘abuse of office’, among others. (NAN)