Abuja, February 23, 2026 — Questions have emerged over the integrity of results from a polling unit in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following the circulation of an allegedly altered result sheet from Saturday’s area council elections.
A copy of Form EC8A from a polling unit in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) showed figures that appeared to have been modified before final submission. In the document shared online, votes initially recorded for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were crossed out and changed, while the tally for the All Progressives Congress (APC) was adjusted from zero to 80. The form bore the signature of the presiding officer, identified as Musa Godwin, as well as signatures of party agents prior to its upload.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently declared APC candidate Christopher Maikalangu winner of the AMAC chairmanship contest with 40,298 votes, defeating the ADC candidate, who polled 12,109 votes. Overall, the APC secured five of the six chairmanship seats declared in the FCT elections.
The alleged alterations have sparked criticism from opposition figures and commentators, with some describing the incident as evidence of electoral malpractice ahead of the 2027 general elections. Former Senator Dino Melaye publicly condemned the reported changes, calling them undemocratic and urging further scrutiny.
However, others have noted that electoral guidelines permit corrections on result sheets provided they are properly documented and endorsed by party agents and election officials.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC has not issued a specific statement addressing the polling unit in question. Civil society groups and political stakeholders have called for a transparent review to clarify the circumstances surrounding the disputed figures and to maintain public confidence in the electoral process.
