Less than 48 hours before Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, Hon. Zadna Dantani, the chairmanship candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has abruptly withdrawn from the race in favor of Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This came after a similar action was taken in the Bwari Area Council, where Joshua Ishaku Musa of the APC defeated Julius Adamu, the PDP candidate, on Wednesday.
In an official statement announcing his departure, Dantani stated that high-level interventions by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike—whom he referred to as the party’s and the FCT’s leader—led him to make this decision.
“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,” Dantani said, outlining the reasoning behind the abrupt alignment. By God’s grace, we are not doing this for selfish reasons, and I want to truly thank everyone who has supported us.
He pointed out that during the municipal elections, the minister’s counsel emphasized the importance of “brotherhood.”
“As a candidate for this election, I am here to inform my people that, as a result of the intervention of the Honourable Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is both our party’s and FCT’s leader, I have decided to inform my constituents that this is a brotherhood election. Additionally, I’m doing this to support President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wonderful deeds,” Dantani continued.
The former contender attested to having previously complied with the legal conditions necessary to withdraw from the contest.
After extensive consultation, we have decided, with God’s help, that we will no longer run against my brother, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. He urged his followers in all 12 AMAC wards to cast their votes in unison for the APC candidate, adding, “By doing this, I also submitted a letter of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today.”
Dantani insisted that the action was completely voluntary in his formal letter to the electoral arbiter.
Hon. Zadna Dantani signed the letter to INEC, which said: “After careful consideration and extensive consultation with my family and pertinent stakeholders, I, Hon. Zadna Dantani of Gosa Village along Airport Road, FCT Abuja, a member and the PDP’s candidate, have voluntarily decided to withdraw from contesting for the Chairmanship position of Abuja Municipal Area Council in the upcoming Area Council Elections, which are scheduled to hold on February 21, 2026.
“I want to make it clear that I made the decision to withdraw my candidature of my own free will.”
