Former presidential candidate and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has dismissed the All Progressives Congress’ victories in the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections as a “political illusion,” insisting that Abuja remains fundamentally a PDP territory.

Addressing party stalwarts in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim argued that the outcome of the polls did not reflect a genuine shift in political allegiance. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the APC winners in five of the six chairmanship contests, with the ruling party taking Abuja Municipal, Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje councils, while the PDP retained Gwagwalada.

Olawepo-Hashim maintained that the results were largely the product of internal PDP dynamics rather than a surge in APC popularity. According to him, many of those who emerged on the APC platform were originally PDP figures who defected shortly before the elections, creating what he described as a false narrative of APC dominance.

“In reality, the contest was PDP versus PDP. What we witnessed was the deployment of massive resources and state institutions to manufacture the appearance of competition,” he told the gathering, which included PDP chairmen from the six Area Councils, ward leaders and members of the State Executive Committee.

He urged party members not to be demoralised by the official results, calling instead for renewed grassroots mobilisation and internal cohesion. Authentic political strength, he said, comes from sustained engagement with voters and credible leadership, not from what he portrayed as manipulated outcomes.

“Authentic leadership cannot be imposed. It is built on the trust and will of the people,” Olawepo-Hashim said, warning that any party that relies on state power rather than popular support ultimately risks rejection at the polls.

FCT PDP Chairman, Ismail Dogara, and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Isa Dobi, praised Olawepo-Hashim for backing PDP candidates before and during the elections. They also demanded the release of party members allegedly detained by security agencies in the aftermath of the polls.

In a show of confidence in his national appeal, Dogara moved a motion reaffirming the FCT chapter’s support for Olawepo-Hashim’s 2027 presidential ambition. The motion, seconded by Dobi, was overwhelmingly endorsed by party leaders present, who framed the recent FCT contest as a temporary setback rather than a verdict on the PDP’s long-term strength in the capital.