Less than 48 hours before Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PFP) chairmanship candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Zadna Dantani, has pulled out of the contest and declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Christopher Maikalangu.
The decision comes shortly after a similar development in Bwari Area Council, where the PDP candidate, Julius Adamu, on Wednesday stepped down in favour of APC’s Joshua Musa.
Dantani confirmed his withdrawal in a formal declaration, explaining that the move followed high-level interventions by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, whom he described as both the party leader and the FCT leader.
Explaining the rationale behind the sudden alignment, Dantani stated, “My name is Hon. Zadna Dantani, the Chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Abuja Municipal Area Council for Saturday’s Area Council elections. I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who supported us, and by the grace of God, we are doing it not because of our personal interests.”
He said the minister’s advice centred on the idea of “brotherhood” in the local polls.
“I am here to tell my people that as a candidate who is standing for this election, I have today agreed, based on the intervention of the Honourable Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is our leader in the party and the leader in FCT, who has called my attention to let us know that this is a brotherhood election. I am also doing this in support of the good works of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Dantani added.
The former candidate said he had completed all necessary legal steps to formalise his exit from the race.
“I have consulted widely, and by the grace of God, we have agreed that we are no longer going to contest against my brother, Hon Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. By doing so, I also submitted a letter of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today,” he said, urging his supporters across the 12 wards of AMAC to vote for the APC candidate.
In his letter to the electoral body, Dantani said the decision was entirely voluntary.
The letter to INEC, signed by Hon. Zadna Dantani, read: “I write to respectfully inform you that I, Hon. Zadna Dantani of Gosa Village along Airport Road, FCT Abuja, a member and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have decided to voluntarily withdraw from contesting for the Chairmanship position of Abuja Municipal Area Council in the forthcoming Area Council Elections, which is scheduled to hold on 21st February, 2026, after due other consideration and thorough consultation with my family and relevant stakeholders.
“I wish to state unequivocally that this decision to withdraw my candidature is borne out of my own free will volition.”
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