FCT council poll: Again, PDP chairmanship candidate steps down

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Ahead of Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Zadna Dantani, has stepped down for his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Christopher Maikalangu, following intervention by the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.

This development came less than 24 hours after the Bwari Area Council candidate for the PDP, Julius Adamu, made a similar move in favour of APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa.

Dantani announced his decision publicly yesterday, attributing it to Wike’s influence as the party and FCT’s leader. He confirmed submitting a formal withdrawal letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“My name is Zadna Dantani, the chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Abuja Municipal Area Council for the Saturday’s Area Council elections.

“I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who supported us and by the grace of God, we are doing it not because of our personal interests.

“I am here to tell my people that as a candidate who is standing for this election, I have today, agreed to step down for the APC candidate, following the intervention by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, who is our leader in the party and in the FCT. He reminded me that this is a brotherhood election. “I am also doing this in support of the good works of the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“I have consulted widely and by the grace of God, we have agreed that we are no longer going to contest against our brother, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. “By doing so, I also submitted a letter of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today. “I, therefore, call on all my supporters across the 12 wards in the Abuja Municipal Area Council to come out en masse to support Maikalangu, who is the candidate of the APC,” he stated.

In his letter to the INEC, Dantani, from Gosa village along Airport Road, FCT Abuja, said: “I write to respectfully inform you that I, Zadna Dantani of Gosa village along Airport Road, FCT Abuja, a member and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have decided to voluntarily withdraw from contesting for the chairmanship position of Abuja Municipal Area Council, in the forthcoming Area Council elections which is scheduled to hold on February 21, 2026, after due consideration and thorough consultation with my family and relevant stakeholders.

“I wish to state unequivocally that this decision to withdraw my candidature is borne out of my own volition. Accept the assurances of my warm regards, please.”