The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election, Dr. Moses Paul, has rejected the declared results of the February 21 poll, citing alleged widespread irregularities and insisting the outcome does not reflect the true will of Abuja residents.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner, having scored 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes. Dr. Paul came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate secured 3,398 votes.

In a statement released in Abuja, Dr. Paul accused INEC of mishandling the election, alleging voter suppression, vote buying, intimidation of supporters, and result manipulation across multiple wards. He stated:

“I stand before you today not as a man diminished by the outcome but as one empowered by a political movement.

From the streets of Karshi to the markets of Wuse, Abuja residents have expressed their beliefs and refused to surrender their future.”

Dr. Paul affirmed that his review of the election outcome confirmed he had won the people’s mandate, describing the declared results as a betrayal of public trust.

Meanwhile, the Obidient Movement also rejected the AMAC election results, calling the process a “brazen assault on democracy.”

Speaking to journalists at the group’s Abuja secretariat, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, highlighted widespread irregularities, voter suppression, and low voter turnout caused by poorly communicated polling arrangements.

Dr. Tanko added that the intervention of former presidential candidate Peter Obi had boosted participation, but still claimed that “the criminal subversion of the people’s will” undermined the election’s credibility.

Attempts to reach APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka for comment on these allegations were unsuccessful.

The ADC and Obidient Movement are urging INEC to investigate the claims and restore confidence in the electoral process, stressing that the integrity of democracy in Abuja remains at stake.