APC members storm secretariat in Abuja, accuse Wike of hijacking party

Aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday stormed the party National Secretariat to register their grievance over what they described as ill-treatment by new entrants to the party.

The members, who stormed the party Secretariat with placards with various inscriptions such as: “We don’t want Aduda, we don’t want PDP members,” “We say no to PDP agents in FCT APC,” “Stop PDP agents from hijacking APC FCT election,” among others, accused loyalists of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike of hijacking the party and planning to plant preferred candidates into elective positions in the February 2026 FCT council elections.

Appealing to the party National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agents from hijacking the APC FCT election, the APC members condemned the wholesale takeover of APC structures in each of the area councils of the FCT by decampees, who moved into the ruling party from the opposition PDP between January and May this year.

Addressing newsmen during the protest at the APC National Secretariat, the Spokesman of the group, Mallam Idris Jibril, condemned what he called the open romance of the APC national leadership with PDP members, especially Senator Phillip Aduda, a loyalist of Wike, who was defeated by Sen. Ireti Kingibe, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 general elections and the exclusion of APC founding members, who worked hard to build up the party in the territory.

The protesting groups were drawn from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Bwari Area Council, the two council areas won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2022 FCT election.

The incumbent Executive Chairman of AMAC, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, officially decamped from the PDP to the APC last month and he was among those accused of hijacking the ÀPC and preparing for reelection in the FCT Area Council election process without carrying along original members of the ruling party.

The petition by the APC members, which was submitted to the APC National Chairman, Ganduje and copied some members of the party National Working Committee, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS) and others, called for the immediate disqualification of Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, Mr. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu and also halt the PDP-instigqted subversion of internal democracy in FCT APC structure.

The petition reads in part: “We write as loyal, concerned, and committed stakeholders of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the banner of the APC Consolidation Group.

“This petition is borne out of deep concern over the dangerous infiltration of the FCT APC by individuals who neither reflect the values of the party nor meet the constitutional requirements for nomination, yet are being positioned as candidates in a brazen attempt to hijack our internal processes.”

The APC members drew the attention of the National Chairman and others to the violation of Article 20.1(iii) of the APC Constitution, which stated that “No person shall be eligible to contest for any elective position or be nominated as a candidate unless he/she has been a financial member of the Party for at least three (3) months and has fulfilled all party requirements.”

In flagrant violation of this provision, according to the group, “Mr. Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, an aspirant for the Kuje Area Council Chairmanship, was a delegate at the PDP Zonal Convention held on Saturday, 24th May 2025. Barely 48 hours later, he obtained the APC nomination and expression of interest forms. This is not only a direct affront to Article 20.1(iii), but also exposes a clear case of opportunistic carpet-crossing and deceit.

“Mr. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, a sitting PDP Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), who is also reportedly contesting under the APC platform for another tenure, has not met the mandatory three-month membership requirement. His sudden entry into our party is strategically calculated and violates both the spirit and the letter of our constitution.

“These actions, if unchecked, will set a dangerous precedent — one that allows political turncoats and saboteurs to undermine our platform, frustrate long-serving loyal members, and turn APC into a safe haven for rejected opposition elements.”

Speaking on the role of Senator Philip Aduda in undermining APC unity in FCT, the APC members in their petition said, “we further bring to your attention the alleged and troubling activities of former PDP Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, who has not only refused to publicly align with the APC but is actively working behind the scenes to install his loyalists in strategic Area Councils under our party.

“Information reaching us indicates that Senator Aduda is leveraging the name of the Honourable Minister of the FCT, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, to intimidate party executives and force the imposition of these aspirants. We find this not only deceptive but also dangerous, as it fuels political tension within the FCT.

“We want to categorically state that the Honourable Minister has not publicly endorsed any candidate, and therefore, Senator Aduda’s actions amount to blackmail, manipulation, and an abuse of political privilege.”