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By Tracy Moses
Ahead of the February 21 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified efforts to consolidate support across key demographic blocs in Abuja, particularly among ethnic communities with strong voting strength.
The move follows the party’s mixed electoral fortunes in the FCT in recent election cycles, where opposition parties made significant gains, raising concerns within the APC about its grassroots appeal in the nation’s capital.
Political observers have since noted that the forthcoming council polls present an opportunity for the ruling party to reassert its dominance at the local level.
It is against this backdrop that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, declared that the Igbo community in the FCT would deliver massive votes for the APC in the Area Council elections.
Kalu made the assertion on Friday after the inauguration of the 138-member APC National Campaign Council for the FCT elections by the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu, who serves as Secretary of the Campaign Council, expressed confidence that the party would secure victory across the six area councils and 68 wards of the FCT.
Describing Abuja as “the melting point of Nigeria,” he noted that the FCT is home to residents from all geo-political zones, including a large population of Igbo business owners and professionals.
“A lot of Igbo people live here to do business and invest as residents. I am an Igbo man and also a Nigerian, and I am part of this government.
I am one of the faces of the Igbo in leadership. No longer can anyone say that the Igbo are not part of this administration,” Kalu said.
He maintained that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has embraced inclusive governance, which, according to him, has strengthened confidence among different ethnic groups.
“For eight years in the past, there was no Igbo person in the succession leadership of this country. Today, our people see me participating in governance daily. That is a clear message that the Igbo are not alienated from the present administration,” he added.
Kalu also attributed the party’s optimism to ongoing infrastructural development in the FCT under the Minister, Nyesom Wike, stating that visible projects across urban and grassroots communities have boosted the APC’s campaign narrative.
“Under this administration, there is a noticeable difference in the FCT. Governance is being felt not only in the city centre but also at the grassroots.
Residents can see and experience the dividends of democracy. That is our campaign tool,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker further disclosed that the APC campaign would involve extensive grassroots mobilisation, including door-to-door engagement and collaboration with support groups such as the City Boy Movement, Renewed Hope Partners, and Renewed Hope Ambassadors.
He expressed confidence that the Igbo community in Abuja would rally behind the party and contribute significantly to what he described as a decisive victory for the APC in the forthcoming Area Council elections.