Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and accused the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike of hijacking the party.

The aggrieved members who protested at the party’s National Secretariat, lamented what they described as ill-treatment by new entrants to the party.

Armed 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, the members condemned the takeover of APC structures in each of the area councils of the FCT by defectors from the PDP between January and May this year.

Addressing newsmen during the protest, 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.

The petition submitted by Jibril on behalf of the aggrieved members read in part: “We write as loyal, concerned, and committed stakeholders of our great party, the 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 members drew the attention of the national chairman and others to the violation of Article 20.1(iii) of the APC Constitution.

It stated: “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 protesters, “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.”

“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.” (THISDAY, excluding headline)