A fresh political war of words has erupted in Gwagwalada as former media aide to ex-Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mustapha Danze popularly known as Obama, Abdullahi Usman Babalado, launched a blistering attack on former lawmaker and ex-Gwagwalada chairman, Zakari Angulu Dobi, over his criticism of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Babalado, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, was reacting to Angulu’s recent statement cautioning Wike against interfering in the affairs of the All Progressives Congress in the FCT, particularly over the endorsement of former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Tanimu Aduda, for the FCT senatorial seat.
In a strongly worded response that has already sparked reactions across political circles in Abuja South, Babalado accused Angulu of double standards and political hypocrisy, insisting that the former chairman had no moral authority to accuse Wike of imposing candidates on the APC.
Recalling events during the Area Council election campaigns in Paiko, Babalado alleged that Angulu openly told supporters that even if voters in the Zuba Zone rejected the APC’s “imposed candidate,” Usman Yahaya, the party would still force the candidate on the people of Gwagwalada Area Council.
According to Babalado, Angulu’s comments at the time exposed the same style of political imposition he is now condemning.
“What moral right does he have now to say Wike is imposing a candidate?” Babalado queried.
He argued that politics should be decided through popularity and party structures rather than media outbursts and public intimidation.
“The simple logic is that Wike has announced his candidate, so Zakari should also announce his own candidate and let both of them test their popularity and acceptability through party primaries,” he stated.
Babalado further intensified the political tension by alleging that candidates backed by Angulu have repeatedly suffered defeats within the FCT APC political structure.
According to him, the APC candidate allegedly supported by Angulu during the Gwagwalada Area Council election lost at the polls, while another aspirant reportedly backed by the former chairman for the APC state chairmanship also failed to emerge victorious.
He went further to predict more political setbacks for individuals allegedly linked to Angulu ahead of the forthcoming FCT senatorial and Abuja South House of Representatives contests.
The latest exchange has deepened the growing political divide within both the APC and opposition circles in the FCT, as rival camps continue positioning themselves ahead of future electoral battles. Political observers say the public confrontation also signals an early power struggle over who controls the political direction of Abuja South and the wider FCT ahead of the next round of elections.