RismadarVoice Reporters
February 22, 2026
The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Kasim, has emerged winner of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election held as part of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) local government polls.
Announcing the results in the early hours of Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Philip Akpen, said Kasim secured 22,165 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.
Akpen described the election as peaceful, smoothly conducted.
“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship election held on February 21, 2026. That Mohammed Kasim of the PDP, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” he said.
He added that Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) came third with 1,687 votes.
The chairmanship election in Gwagwalada recorded 207,577 registered voters and 46,294 accredited voters.
A breakdown of the results shows:
• PDP – 22,165
• APC – 17,788
• APGA – 1,687
• ADC – 1,366
• SDP – 432
• NNPP – 175
• YPP – 158
• Accord (A) – 151
• ADP – 128
• AA – 116
• APM – 24
Total valid votes stood at 43,960, with 1,521 rejected votes.
The FCT local government elections were conducted across the six Area Councils, including Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali covering both chairmanship and councillorship positions.
