APC Victory in FCT Council Polls, ‘Political Illusion’, Says Hashim

A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gbenga Hashim, has dismissed the reported victory of the All Progressives Congress in the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections as a “political illusion.”

Hashim made the remarks on Thursday during a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where he argued that many of the candidates who won the polls under the APC banner were previously members of the opposition party.

He added that some contestants allegedly defected to the ruling party under pressure, creating what he termed a misleading perception of APC dominance in the FCT.

“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,” Hashim said.

He maintained that the FCT remains a traditional stronghold of the PDP and warned party members against narratives he claimed were designed to distort the political landscape in the territory.

The presidential hopeful urged supporters to remain united and intensify grassroots mobilisation, stressing that genuine political strength is rooted in popular backing rather than what he described as manipulated outcomes.

At the meeting, the FCT PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Mohammed Dogara, moved a motion reaffirming the chapter’s support for Hashim’s 2027 presidential ambition.

The motion was seconded by a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Honourable Isa Dobi, and received wide endorsement from stakeholders present, including area council and ward chairmen.

Participants at the meeting also commended Hashim for backing party candidates before and during the elections.

They called for the release of party members allegedly detained by security agencies, claiming the arrests were aimed at influencing the electoral process.