The African Democratic Congress candidate in the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship election, Mr Moses Paul, has rejected the outcome of the February 21 poll, alleging widespread irregularities and insisting that the declared results did not reflect the true will of the people.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Paul accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of mishandling the election, citing alleged voter suppression, result manipulation, intimidation of party supporters and vote-buying across several wards.
On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress as the duly elected chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
The AMAC Collation Officer, Andrew Abue, announced that Maikalangu, the incumbent chairman, secured victory after polling 40,295 votes out of the 62,861 valid votes recorded in the election.
He added that the ADC candidate finished second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party garnered 3,398 votes.
Reacting, the ADC candidate said he had reviewed the election outcome and insisted he won the people’s mandate, rejecting the results announced by INEC as not reflecting the true will of Abuja residents.
He stated, “I stand before you today not as a man diminished by the outcome of Saturday’s event, but as a man empowered by a political movement. This movement is not born of convenience but of conviction; it is carried not by power, but by people. It is written not in ink, but in sacrifice.
“Over the past few months, from the streets of Karshi to the bustling markets of Wuse, from the crowded paths of Nyanya to the quiet resilience of Gwi, Abuja residents have risen, standing up and expressing their beliefs. For this, I bow my head in gratitude.
“Let it be known and recorded in history that what we witnessed in this election was not merely a contest for office; it was a declaration of dignity by a people who refuse to surrender their future.
“I have reviewed the outcome as announced. While I firmly believe, based on our extensive engagement and the overwhelming spirit of our movement, that we earned the sacred mandate of the people, I strongly condemn the declared results, as they do not reflect the true will of the residents of Abuja.”
Paul maintained that the actions of certain key players during the election undermined the integrity of the process and weakened public confidence in democracy.
He continued, “Even among those who voted, many have expressed deep disagreement with the announced outcome due to widespread irregularities. These include restriction of movement through the imposition of a curfew; alteration and mutilation of polling unit results, which tragically contributed to the death of Musa Abubakar at the Gwagwa polling unit while he tried to resist; intimidation and attacks on ADC party members by security agencies; massive vote-buying across several wards; and voter suppression caused by the late arrival of election materials in key polling units, including Kabusa, among others.
“These actions undermine the integrity of the electoral process and the confidence of the people in our democracy. Our movement was never built on the fragile foundation of titles; it was built on the enduring foundation of truth. And truth does not expire with an election.
“To the young men and women who stood in the sun for hours, who walked distances they had never known, and who gave their time, strength and voices: you are the authors of a new chapter.”
Attempts by NGGOSSIPS Online to reach the All Progressives Congress National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, for a response were unsuccessful, as he did not pick up calls from our correspondent.
