Tensions are boiling over in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the All Progressives Congress (APC) faces increasing backlash from the indigenous population over reports that the party is planning to impose a non-indigene, Usman Yahaya, as its consensus chairmanship candidate ahead of the 2026 Area Council elections.
The move, which sources say is being quietly influenced by top APC power brokers at the national level—allegedly including former Kano State Governor and current APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje—has triggered widespread outrage across Gwagwalada communities. The backlash is fueled by growing insecurity in the area, particularly brutal attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen, which many residents see as connected to the broader ethnic and political neglect of the original inhabitants.
Community leaders, traditional institutions, youth groups, and elders across various wards including have unanimously rejected the alleged imposition of Usman Yahaya, who is believed to be of Fulani extraction and said to have ancestral roots in Kano State, not Gwagwalada.
In a statement issued over the weekend and obtained exclusively by Chronicles Reporters, a grassroots community figure known as Dobiza Dobiza 1 voiced the sentiments of many:
“Except APC wants to lose the 2026 elections in Gwagwalada Area Council, the people will not accept this manipulation. The idea of surrendering our ancestral mandate to someone who neither knows our struggle nor has shared in our cultural identity is a betrayal too great to ignore.”
The statement accused the APC of attempting to override traditional zoning arrangements and disrespecting the core values of Gwagwalada’s political harmony.
“This move is not just about politics; it is about the future of our people, our identity, and our survival. A man who hails from outside the FCT—linked to a region where herdsmen dominate the narrative of insecurity—cannot be handed the reins of our council while our people are being butchered in their own land.”
The rejection of Usman Yahaya’s candidacy comes against the backdrop of renewed violence in the council. On Wednesday, two farmers were killed in yet another attack allegedly carried out by suspected herdsmen in Paiko. Community sources confirmed to Chronicles Reporters that the victims were native farmers ambushed on their way to their farmland.
This latest incident adds to a series of violent clashes in the area, with residents now openly accusing the government of negligence and the APC leadership of political insensitivity.
In an emotional open letter addressed to the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a community member, Sani Usman Zakariyya, lamented the “endless terror” being visited on Gwagwalada’s rural communities by armed herdsmen.
“The attacks have become routine in Paiko, Ibwa, Dobi, and other wards. Our people are being killed silently, while our leaders remain compromised and mute. We are defenseless in our own land. No one seems to care,” he wrote.
He accused the APC of attempting to install a candidate who symbolizes the same ethnic identity as those alleged to be carrying out the attacks, a move many perceive as “an insult to the memory of the slain and a direct provocation to the living.”
“You cannot plant pain and expect peace. The people of Gwagwalada will resist any arrangement that undermines their dignity or jeopardizes their safety,” Zakariyya added.
While the APC has yet to officially respond to the allegations or confirm the candidacy of Usman Yahaya, insiders within the party are already warning of internal collapse if the leadership fails to listen to the voice of the people.
A youth coalition under the banner Gwagwalada Grassroots Front issued a separate statement on Sunday calling on APC national leaders to respect existing power rotation agreements within the area council.
“We will not fold our hands and watch the legacy of our ancestors auctioned in the name of political compromise. If the APC insists on Usman Yahaya, they should prepare to lose not just Gwagwalada in 2026, but their standing across the FCT in 2027,” the group warned.
They also called for immediate town hall meetings and transparent primaries that include voices from all communities, particularly original inhabitants.
As resentment grows, the message from the people of Gwagwalada is clear: ancestral ties matter, security concerns must be addressed, and local governance must reflect local realities.
“This is not a threat,” Dobiza Dobiza 1 reiterated in a widely shared video. “It is a wake-up call. The APC must choose between political greed and the future of a people who have stood with them since 1999.”
As of press time, no statement has been released by the APC Area Council Chairman, FCT APC Chairman, or the party’s national secretariat. Calls and messages to local party officials were unanswered.
But on the ground in Gwagwalada, one thing is certain: the people are watching. And this time, they are not keeping silent.
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