The Peoples Democratic Party has recorded a major victory in the Gwagwalada Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.
Its candidate, Mohammed Kasim, emerged winner of the chairmanship poll conducted on Sunday.
The result places the PDP ahead of the ruling All Progressives Congress in one of the key councils of Abuja.
According to the official announcement, Kasim secured 22,165 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the APC, who scored 17,788 votes.
The Returning Officer, Philip Akpen, declared the PDP candidate winner after collation of results from all wards.
He said the exercise was peaceful and orderly, with no major disruptions recorded during voting and counting.
Kasim’s campaign centred on community development, support for women, better healthcare delivery, and improved access to education for children across the council.
He also promised to strengthen grassroots governance and expand social services if elected.
The election formed part of the FCT-wide council polls organised by Independent National Electoral Commission.
Voting took place across the six area councils, including Gwagwalada, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Kwali and Kuje.
Voters elected both chairmen and councillors during the exercise.
However, despite internal challenges facing the Peoples Democratic Party, the win in Gwagwalada is being viewed as a morale boost for the opposition party.
The party has recently suffered leadership disputes and high-profile defections to the All Progressives Congress and other parties.
A breakdown of the chairmanship results shows PDP leading with 22,165 votes, followed by APC with 17,788 votes. Other parties recorded much smaller figures.
Out of 207,577 registered voters, 46,294 were accredited. Total valid votes stood at 43,960, while 1,521 votes were rejected.