A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has dismissed the electoral victories recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing them as a “political illusion.”
Addressing party stakeholders in Abuja on Thursday, Hashim argued that many candidates who secured victory on the APC platform were originally longstanding PDP members who allegedly defected under pressure.
According to him, the defections created a misleading perception of the APC’s growing strength in the FCT.
“In reality, the contest was PDP versus PDP,” he declared. “What we witnessed was the deployment of massive resources and state institutions to manufacture the appearance of competition.”
Hashim maintained that the FCT remains a traditional PDP stronghold and cautioned party faithful against what he termed engineered political narratives designed to distort the electoral reality in the territory.
He urged supporters to remain united and intensify grassroots mobilisation efforts, stressing that genuine political strength is rooted in popular support rather than what he described as manipulated outcomes.
The meeting was attended by PDP chairmen from the six Area Councils, ward chairmen, and members of the State Executive Committee, among other stakeholders.
In a show of solidarity, the FCT PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Mohammed Dogara, moved a motion reaffirming the chapter’s backing for Hashim’s 2027 presidential ambition. The motion was seconded by Honourable Isa Dobi, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, and received broad endorsement from attendees.
Stakeholders also commended Hashim for his support to party candidates before and during the elections and called for the immediate release of party members allegedly detained by security agencies, claiming the arrests were aimed at influencing the electoral outcome.
The developments signal intensifying rivalry between the PDP and APC in the FCT as political realignments gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.