A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, on Thursday dismissed claims of electoral victories by the All Progressives Congress in the Federal Capital Territory, describing last week’s Area Council election outcomes as a “political illusion.”
Olawepo-Hashim spoke at a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where party leaders and members reviewed the conduct and results of the polls across the six FCT Area Councils.
The elections, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, covered Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali Area Councils.
INEC announced that the APC won chairmanship seats in Abaji, Kwali, AMAC, and Bwari, while the PDP secured victory in Gwagwalada. Results from the remaining council were still being collated at press time.
Reacting to the outcome in a statement made available to The NGGOSSIPS Online, Olawepo-Hashim argued that many victorious APC candidates were long-standing PDP members who allegedly defected under pressure ahead of the elections.
“In reality, the contest was PDP versus PDP. What we witnessed was the deployment of massive resources and state institutions to manufacture the appearance of competition,” he said.
He emphasised that the FCT remains a traditional PDP stronghold, warning party supporters against engineered political narratives designed to distort the electoral reality in the territory.
Olawepo-Hashim urged party faithful to remain united and intensify grassroots mobilisation, stressing that genuine political strength derives from popular support rather than manipulated outcomes.
“Authentic leadership cannot be imposed. It is built on the trust and will of the people,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by party chairmen from the six Area Councils, ward chairmen, members of the State Executive Committee, and other PDP stakeholders in the FCT.
In a show of solidarity, FCT PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Dogara, moved a motion reaffirming the chapter’s support for Olawepo-Hashim’s 2027 presidential aspiration. The motion was seconded by PDP Board of Trustees member Honourable Isa Dobi and received overwhelming endorsement from participants.
Stakeholders also commended Olawepo-Hashim for his support to party candidates before and during the Area Council elections, describing his involvement as instrumental to the PDP’s grassroots performance.
They further called for the immediate release of party members allegedly detained by security agencies, claiming the arrests aimed to influence electoral outcomes in parts of the FCT.
Political observers noted that the development highlights the intensifying rivalry between PDP and APC in the nation’s capital ahead of the 2027 general elections, as both parties work to consolidate structures and expand their influence in the FCT.
