Protesters storm APC HQ, demand immediate disqualification of allege ‘PDP moles’ in FCT council polls

A group operating under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Consolidation Group on Monday staged a protest at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, demanding the immediate disqualification of certain aspirants vying for chairmanship positions in the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

Specifically, the group called for the disqualification of the current Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr. Christopher Maikalangu, and Mr. Danjuma Shekwolo, a chairmanship aspirant in Kuje Area Council. Both men, they claimed, are recent defectors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and are allegedly being strategically planted to hijack the APC from within.

Advertisements

The protesters, bearing placards with inscriptions such as “We say no to PDP agents in APC FCT elections”, “APC is not a refugee camp for displaced politicians”, and “Na our sweat build APC, no give tickets to yahoo yahoo politicians”, accused the defectors of violating party rules and undermining internal democracy.

The protest came after the group submitted a petition addressed to the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, titled “Petition for the Immediate Disqualification of Mr. Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, Mr. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu and Halting the PDP-Instigated Subversion of Internal Democracy in FCT APC Structure.”

Advertisements

The petition copied the National Secretary of the APC, the party’s legal department, the FCT APC Chairman, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, and the Chairman of the APC Screening Committee for the FCT.

Addressing journalists, the group’s spokesperson, Malami Idris Jibril, insisted that both aspirants are ineligible to contest based on Article 20.1(iii) of the APC Constitution, which stipulates a minimum of three months’ party membership before any aspirant can contest for elective positions.

“They are trying all they can to do a violent takeover of the APC in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). With this Area Council election coming up, they are planting their stooges around all the Area Councils to contest and win this election, while loyal and determined members who have been on the ground since 2014, have been by-passed to bring PDP’s stooge,” Jibril stated.

He also alleged that Mr. Shekwolo, who was reportedly a delegate at the PDP Zonal Convention on May 24, 2025, picked the APC nomination form barely 48 hours later — an action he described as a “clear case of opportunistic carpet-crossing and deceit.”

“Besides that of Kuje Area Council, we equally have a similar experience too in Bwari Area Council. The stooges of Senator Philip Aduda have been implanted into the APC system to hijack our party that we have sweated and bled for,” he added.

The protesters also accused former PDP Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, of masterminding the infiltration with the alleged backing of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, whom they said must either officially defect to the APC or stop interfering in its affairs.

From Kuje Area Council, Yusuf Dabo, a member of the group, addressed the media and openly criticized the Minister of the FCT.

“Everybody is welcome to the party. But come to the party first. When you come, we know that it is party-to-party affairs. But for now, it is PDP that is fighting APC and he is aligning himself with the FCT Minister. That Minister is the one supporting them. We are even telling Wike to be careful because this party belongs to APC members. Wike is still in PDP. Let him continue in PDP but he shouldn’t poke nose into the affairs of our party,” Dabo said.

Advertisements