The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Christopher Maikalangu, as the winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election.
Announcing the result, the AMAC Collation Officer, Prof. Andrew Abue, said Maikalangu, who is also the incumbent chairman, was returned elected after securing the highest number of votes cast. He polled 40,295 votes out of the 62,861 valid votes recorded in the election.
According to the results released, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 3,398 votes.
Prof. Abue disclosed that the total number of rejected votes was 2,336, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197. He added that 837,338 voters were registered in AMAC, with 65,676 accredited to participate in the election.
“Christopher Maikalangu of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Abue announced.
He further provided the breakdown of votes scored by candidates of the 16 political parties that contested the election as follows: Accord Party – 403 votes; Action Alliance – 108 votes; African Democratic Congress – 12,109 votes; Action Democratic Party – 588 votes; All Progressives Congress – 40,295 votes; All Progressives Grand Alliance – 1,111 votes; Allied Peoples Movement – 122 votes; Action Peoples Party – 32 votes; Boot Party – 43 votes; New Nigeria Peoples Party – 1,694 votes; National Rescue Movement – 73 votes; Peoples Democratic Party – 3,398 votes; Peoples Redemption Party – 90 votes; Social Democratic Party – 2,185 votes; Young Progressives Party – 421 votes; and Zenith Labour Party – 189 votes.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the declaration, the APC Collation Agent, Gambo Babale, described the election and collation process as credible and transparent.
“INEC has done very well. We observed the processes across polling units, ward collation centres and the AMAC collation centre. Everything was conducted properly. The level of transparency was commendable,” he said.
Babale noted that the PDP’s victory in two ward councillorship seats in Karu and Karishi further demonstrated the transparency of the exercise. He congratulated Maikalangu and expressed confidence that the victory would translate into improved service delivery for residents of AMAC.
Similarly, the YPP Ward Collation Agent, Abdullahi Ibrahim, commended the process and congratulated the winner.
INEC confirmed that the result sheets were duly signed by party agents of the ADC, APC, APGA, YPP and NNPP present at the collation centre.
