APC FCT members ground secretariat over defectors hijacking party

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, yesterday, grounded the party’s national headquarters in Abuja to register their grievance over the perceived oppression melted against founding members by the new defectors into the party.

The protesters bearing placards with various inscriptions like: “We don’t want Aduda, we don’t want PDP members,” “We say no to PDP agents in FCT APC,” “Stop PDP agents from hijacking APC FCT election,” among many others, also claimed that loyalists of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has hijacked the party.

They alleged that they are planning to plant preferred aspirants that will emerge as candidates into elective positions in the February 2026 FCT council elections.

While urging the ruling party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to stop PDP agents from hijacking the APC FCT election, they also condemned the complete takeover of APC structures in each of the Area Councils by the defectors, who moved into the ruling party from the opposition PDP between January and May this year.

Speaking to newsmen during the protest, the spokesman of the group, Mallam Idris Jibril, condemned the open romance of the APC national leadership with PDP members, especially Senator Phillip Aduda, a loyalist to Wike, who was defeated by Senator Ireti Kingibe, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 general elections.

They further lamented the exclusion of APC founding members, who worked hard to build the party in the territory.

The protesting groups were drawn from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Bwari Area Council, the two council areas won by the PDP in the 2022 FCT election.

Incumbent Executive Chairman of AMAC, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, officially decamped from the PDP to the APC last month was among those accused of hijacking the party’s structure and preparing for re-election in the FCT Area Council election process without carrying along original members of the ruling party.

They called for the immediate disqualification of Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, Mr. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu and also halt the PDP-instigated subversion of internal democracy in FCT APC structure.

The petition by the APC members, was submitted to the APC National Chairman, Ganduje and copied some members of the party National Working Committee, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS) and others.

The petition readsin part: “We write as loyal, concerned, and committed stakeholders of our great party, the APC, under the banner of the APC Consolidation Group.

“This petition is borne out of deep concern over the dangerous infiltration of the FCT APC by individuals who neither reflect the values of the party nor meet the constitutional requirements for nomination, yet are being positioned as candidates in a brazen attempt to hijack our internal processes,” it read.

They equally drew the attention of the National Chairman and others to the violation of Article 20.1(iii) of the APC Constitution, which stated that “No person shall be eligible to contest for any elective position or be nominated as a candidate unless he/she has been a financial member of the Party for at least three (3) months and has fulfilled all party requirements.”

In flagrant violation of this provision, according to the group, “Mr. Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, an aspirant for the Kuje Area Council Chairmanship, was a delegate at the PDP Zonal Convention held on Saturday, 24th May 2025. Barely 48 hours later, he obtained the APC nomination and expression of interest forms. This is not only a direct affront to Article 20.1(iii), but also exposes a clear case of opportunistic carpet-crossing and deceit.

“Mr. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, PDP Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), who is also reportedly contesting under the APC platform for another tenure, has not met the mandatory three-month membership requirement. His sudden entry into our party is strategically calculated and violates both the spirit and the letter of our constitution.

“These actions, if unchecked, will set a dangerous precedent — one that allows political turncoats and saboteurs to undermine our platform, frustrate long-serving loyal members, and turn APC into a safe haven for rejected opposition elements.”

Similarly, speaking on the role of Senator Philip Aduda in undermining APC unity in FCT, the APC members in their petition said, “we further bring to your attention the alleged and troubling activities of former PDP Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, who has not only refused to publicly align with the APC but is actively working behind the scenes to install his loyalists in strategic Area Councils under our party.

“Information reaching us indicates that Senator Aduda is leveraging the name of the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to intimidate party executives and force the imposition of these aspirants. We find this not only deceptive but also dangerous, as it fuels political tension within the FCT.

“We want to categorically state that the Minister has not publicly endorsed any candidate, and therefore, Aduda’s actions amount to blackmail, manipulation, and an abuse of political privilege.”