On the surface, the February 21 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils’ election appears like just any other local government poll. But for the political parties, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), it is more of a test of might, ahead of the 2027 polls.

Indeed, the area council poll is a major test for the ADC since its emergence as the opposition coalition party for the next general election. A coalition of opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, former Senate President David Mark amongst others, in July 2025, unveiled the ADC as the opposition coalition party for the 2027 polls.

Since the unveiling of the new ADC, leaders of the opposition party have continually declared to anyone that cares to listen that it is ready to oust the APC as the ruling party in the next election. Mark, a former President of the Senate, who is also the National Chairman of the party, while speaking at the inauguration of the ADC registration committee, recently, declared that the opposition party is the new bride in the polity, stating that the opposition party would emerge the ruling party in 2027.

According to him, “I want to assure you that ADC is a new bride in town. Everybody, anywhere you go, people want to join ADC. They clamour for them to get the cards. People have been saying, where are your cards? Where are your cards? The cards are out now, so we’ll see what happens. I assure you that in 2027, ADC will form the government and this is the foundation for that we need. This is the foundation that we are laying today.”

Shortly, after the entrant of key opposition politicians into the ADC, the party was confronted with the by-election for 16 state and National Assembly seats in 12 states across the country. While the APC mocked the opposition party for failing to win any of the seats at stake, the ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdulahi, had stated that the party’s strength cannot be measured based on the outcome of the by-elections.

The ADC, which noted that the party did not field candidates for most of the positions contested in the by-election, stated that “with all its flaws and irregularities, this election should not be seen as a measure of the strength or capacity of the Opposition Coalition, but rather as a sad reflection of how far the system has been corrupted against the will of the people.”

Analysts say with preparation for the 2027 polls gathering momentum, the major test for the ADC, ahead of next year’s contest, is the FCT Area Council polls. The FCT, all along has been the fortress of the opposition. In the 2022 Area Council election, the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gave the ruling party a strong fight, winning the chairmanship position in three councils – Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari and Kuje. While in the 2023 general election, the Labour Party (LP) swept the polls in the capital city. Apart from securing the majority of votes in the presidential poll, the LP won the lone senate seat and one of the two House of Representatives seats.

Nonetheless, in the run-up to the Area Council polls, both the PDP and the LP have been seriously impacted by intra-party crisis, leaving the ADC as the major political party that would be confronting the ruling party. Already, ADC leaders have rolled up their sleeves, campaigning for the party’s candidates in this weekend’s election and mobilising voters to support the opposition party in the area council elections.

Pundits say the opposition needed to make a strong statement with this weekend’s FCT Area Council polls. The party understands this too. Recently, leaders of the party, including Atiku, Obi and former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, have embarked on different campaigns to mobilise support for the ADC candidates.

Atiku, while speaking at campaign rally, for the ADC chairmanship candidate in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Paul Moses, in Garki, last Thursday, declared that “The APC has failed us as a people and if we don’t send them away, they will cause more damage. The campaign to end the sufferings that the APC has brought upon us starts with the election into the FCT Area Councils.”

Also, like Atiku, Mr. Obi had also canvassed support for the party ahead of this Saturday’s election. His presence, during one of the campaign tours, significantly boosted the campaigns of Dr. Moses Paul, the ADC Chairmanship candidate in AMAC, and Hon. Josiah Musa Kuche of Bwari Area Council.

Demonstrating genuine compassion, Obi’s first stop was the Kugbo Furniture Market, where traders faced immense losses from a recent fire inferno. He stated that “My visit to Abuja began with a strong show of solidarity at the Kugbo Furniture Market in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where traders experienced devastating losses due to this catastrophic event.

“In a time when many Nigerians are grappling with severe hardship, this loss is particularly distressing. The traders I met expressed profound gratitude for my choice to stand with them. I assured them that they would not only recover but thrive once more. Their resilience is crucial, and such incidents must be preventable through credible political leadership grounded in character, competence, capacity, and compassion.

“At the palace of the District Head, Chief Philip Jezhi, I received a warm welcome, with the royal father acknowledging the significance of my visit. I have consistently advocated for robust reforms in our emergency services to mandate timely responses to incidents of this nature.

“Accompanied by the ADC AMAC Chairmanship candidate, we prepared to energise support for the upcoming council elections on February 21, 2026. I made it clear that in Nigeria, we expect to prevent such catastrophic incidents. A poignant moment occurred to me at the Kugbo market when a nursing mother pushed through the crowd to have Obi touch her child; a wish fulfilled as Obi joyfully lifted the child, much to the delight of the gathering.”

The team moved from Kugbo to Bwari, where Hon. Josiah Musa Kuche officially launched his campaign in the local market square of Kubwa. The rally was a vibrant display of community support. Together with Dr. Moses Paul, the ADC AMAC local government candidate, Obi engaged directly with traders and the party faithful.

In his discussions, during the visit, he highlighted reasons the electorate should support the ADC candidates, emphasising its commitment to genuine and sincere change that would transform Nigeria, adding that the community’s solidarity was palpable, their enthusiasm evident in their joyous expressions.

Hon. Abdullahi Musa, a former PDP member now with ADC, stated, that “This man (Obi) is a true leader who comes to the people; I will follow him wherever he goes.”

The third stop was Gui, a remote village along the Airport Road in the AMAC local council area, where Obi was met by an eager crowd radiating hope and unity, reinforcing ADC’s solidarity messages, during a courtesy call to the District Head, Alhaji Alhassan Yusuf.

The former Anambra State Governor expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to connect with rural communities, saying that “priority for me is gaining firsthand insight into their concerns”. He assured them that their steadfast support for the ADC AMAC chairmanship candidate would lead to improved infrastructure, including healthcare, water supply, and roads that have long been neglected in their community.

He further said that “I emphasised the importance of their participation in shaping a new Nigeria, achievable through harnessing their voting power in the local council elections on February 21, 2026. Together, we will forge the change they undeniably deserve.”

Analysts say the February 21 contest is nothing short of a dress rehearsal for the gladiators ahead of the 2027 polls. Expectedly, the APC, apparently embarrassed by the dominance of the opposition in the politics of the FCT is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that it takes control of the capital city, prior to the next polls.

ast week, the ruling party inaugurated a 138-man campaign council to prosecute the FCT Area council. The council, which is chaired by the Governor of Kwara State, has the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu as secretary, and consists of APC governors, principal officers of the National Assembly and other key leaders of the ruling party drawn from across the country.

Nonetheless, the ADC says it is well prepared for the polls, stating that it is not losing sleep over the 138-man APC campaign council. Abdullahi told Daily Sun in an interview that the opposition party is confident of victory.

According to him “We are ready for the FCT election. We are taking it very seriously. We will give all our supports to our candidates. We will make sure that we mobilise, because we believe that it is an election that we are going to win, given what the ruling party has done to the people. We are ready for the election and we are confident that we are going to win.”

The ADC spokesman, reacting to a question if the APC poses any threat to the opposition party said “because they listed all their governors and all their senators? That doesn’t mean anything. It is inconsequential. Let the governors abandon their states and come here and be campaigning for FCT election.”

There is no doubt, that this weekend’s council polls in the FCT will be one of the most keenly contested in the area in recent years. While the APC battles to assert itself in the capital city, the opposition party would be facing its first major electoral test, hoping to make a very strong statement with the poll, as a springboard for the 2027 contest. (The Sun)