A dramatic political realignment unfolded in Gwagwalada Area Council during the February 21 council elections, as a last-minute but high-impact defection by Manutd CrownPrince, real name Sani Usman Zakariyya, altered voting patterns, collapsed long-held assumptions, and delivered one of the most symbolic defeats the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suffered in recent local history.
The turning point, according to multiple eyewitnesses and party insiders, came when APC’s alleged vote-buying strategy pegged at ₦3,000 per voter met an unexpected resistance force. That force, many voters say, was the sudden appearance and political mobilization of Manutd CrownPrince in Kutunku Ward. His arrival, as vividly captured in a Facebook post by popular entertainer Jahboi the Comedian, “changed the atmosphere instantly.”
“Money na water,” Jahboi wrote, describing how APC’s cash inducement strategy collapsed the moment CrownPrince threw his weight behind the opposition. What followed, residents say, became “history.”
Investigations by Chronicles Reporters confirm that ManUtd CrownPrince was not a fringe actor but a deeply embedded APC operative who worked actively during the 2022 campaign that brought Abu Giri to power as Gwagwalada chairman. Multiple party sources acknowledge that CrownPrince played grassroots roles in mobilization, logistics, and voter persuasion—particularly in Kutunku and adjoining wards.
However, cracks reportedly began to widen soon after the 2022 victory. CrownPrince became openly critical of what he described as “a government without impact,” lamenting that Gwagwalada residents saw little to no dividend of democracy under Abu Giri’s leadership. Associates say his principled stance and repeated challenges to internal party practices led to systematic sidelining within the APC structure.
His final break came days before the 2026 council polls.
Speaking to community members, CrownPrince was blunt: he said he could not, in good conscience, support an APC ticket he believed represented imposition rather than representation. He specifically opposed the candidacy of Usman Yahaya, arguing that Gwagwalada “cannot be ruled by someone imposed from outside.”
The controversy deepened with allegations from community leaders that former APC chieftain Abdullahi Ganduje influenced the emergence of Usman Yahaya as APC candidate, an action many indigenous residents reportedly viewed as political domination and ethnic marginalization.
CrownPrince did not mince words. He told voters he would not support “a man from Kano” to chair Gwagwalada, framing the issue as one of indigenous rights, political autonomy, and resistance to what he called “modern political oppression.”
These sentiments resonated powerfully in Kutunku Ward.
What followed shocked even seasoned political observers. Through door-to-door canvassing, late-night meetings, and open conversations at polling units, Manutd CrownPrince reportedly worked tirelessly to explain why PDP candidate Kasim Mohammed Ikwa deserved a chance.
The result was historic: the APC flag bearer lost not only Kutunku Ward but also his own polling unit, an outcome many residents say has never happened before in the area.
APC loyalists, who initially mocked CrownPrince’s capacity after his defection and allegedly gaslighted him as “irrelevant,” were reportedly stunned when results began to roll in. Party insiders describe the loss as “a political earthquake” triggered by a single but highly influential defection the party never anticipated.
Community members attribute CrownPrince’s influence to his popularity, street credibility, and reputation as a loyal protégé of Sunday Shagi. Voters interviewed by Chronicles Reporters repeatedly described him as “one of us,” a political actor who understands the streets and speaks without filters.
“He didn’t just switch parties,” one Kutunku resident said. “He explained why. That’s why people listened.”
For many observers, Manutd CrownPrince’s sudden alignment with the PDP was not mere opportunism but a calculated protest vote against a system he once served—and later rejected.
As Jahboi the Comedian concluded in his viral post, CrownPrince has become “a new face of democracy,” embodying a politics driven not by inducement but by conscience, conviction, and community will.
In Gwagwalada, the message from Kutunku is now unmistakable: political loyalty is no longer guaranteed, money no longer absolute, and one man’s defection can redraw the map.