A political controversy has erupted in Abaji following a video showing opposition supporters shouting slogans around the movement of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and APC candidates during a political engagement, with Sani Usman Zakariyya accusing supporters of opposition parties of attempting to disrupt the minister’s convoy.
In a statement, Zakariyya described the individuals involved as opposition supporters who allegedly resorted to shouting slogans after their reported attempt to obtain money was unsuccessful. He further accused them of deliberately creating a confrontation to advance a political narrative against the ruling party.
According to Zakariyya, the decision of the APC leader to continue moving without stopping to address the group was informed by the timing of the engagement, as the minister’s convoy was already departing and political leaders had accompanied him.
He alleged that the opposition supporters subsequently attempted to block or interrupt the convoy, prompting them to intensify their chants and slogans. Zakariyya characterised the incident as a politically motivated attempt to attract attention and portray the APC leadership negatively.
The APC supporter also challenged the narrative surrounding the video, insisting that the scene did not represent the general mood of residents in Abaji. He maintained that a significant number of residents had turned out to welcome Wike and the APC candidates during the political engagement.
Zakariyya said he had shared several videos showing residents gathering to receive the minister and the candidates, arguing that the turnout demonstrated support for their political ambitions.
He maintained that the reception accorded the APC delegation contradicted any suggestion that opposition voices at the roadside represented the broader position of the Abaji electorate.
The controversy has also drawn attention to the growing political competition among the All Progressives Congress (APC), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NDC, as identified in Zakariyya’s statement), the Accord Party and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Zakariyya accused supporters of the NDC, Accord and ADC of assembling along the road to stage what he described as a deliberate political disturbance intended to please their leaders. He further claimed that the opposition parties were already facing electoral defeat ahead of the next election cycle.
His remarks reflect the increasingly confrontational tone of political mobilisation in the Federal Capital Territory, particularly in Abuja South Federal Constituency, where candidates and their supporters are working to consolidate their electoral bases.
Reaffirming his support for the APC candidates, Zakariyya declared that Abuja South Federal Constituency was firmly behind Hon. Danladi Bomboyi Chiya, while expressing confidence in Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda’s political prospects in the FCT.
He dismissed the opposition’s slogans as insufficient to change the electoral calculations ahead of 2027, insisting that political noise would not determine the eventual outcome of the elections.
The Abaji incident underscores the intensifying struggle for political influence in the FCT, as rival camps seek to shape public perceptions of their popularity, grassroots support and electoral strength ahead of the 2027 polls.
Zakariyya’s statement concluded with a firm endorsement of Chiya for Abuja South Federal Constituency and Aduda’s political ambitions in the FCT, while challenging opposition parties to contend with the APC at the ballot box rather than through confrontational roadside demonstrations.