Less than 24 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party chairmanship candidate for Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, withdrew from the race in favour of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Joshua Ishaku Musa, another PDP flagbearer has also stepped down ahead of the FCT Area Council election slated for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Hon. Zadna Dantani has now joined the list of PDP chairmanship candidates who have withdrawn, announcing his decision to back the APC candidate, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship contest.
Dantani explained that his decision followed the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
He added that he had submitted his letter of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In a video statement, he said:
“My name is Hon. Zadna Dantani, the Chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Abuja Municipal Area Council for the Saturday’s Area Council elections.
“I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who supported us and by the grace of God, we are doing it not because of our personal interests.
“I am here to tell my people that as a candidate who is standing for this election, I have today, agreed based on the intervention of the Honourable Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is our leader in the party and the leader in FCT, who has called my attention to let us know that this is a brotherhood election.
“I am also doing this in support of the good works of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I have consulted widely and by the grace of God we have agreed that we are no longer going to contest against my brother, Hon Christopher Zakka Maikalangu.
“By doing so, I also submitted a letter of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today.
“I therefore call on all my supporters a cross the 12 wards in the Abuja Municipal Area Council to come out enmasse to support Hon Christopher Maikalangu, who is the candidate of APC.”
A copy of the withdrawal letter dated February 18, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, titled “Withdrawal from Contesting for Chairmanship Position of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Elections,” was obtained by our correspondent.
The letter reads:
“I write to respectfully inform you that I, Hon. Zadna Dantani of Gosa Village along Airport Road FCT Abuja, a member and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have decided to voluntarily withdraw from contesting for the Chairmanship position of Abuja Municipal Area Council, in the forthcoming Area Council Elections which is scheduled to hold on 21st February, 2026, after due other consideration and thorough consultation with my Family and relevant stakeholders.
“I wish to state unequivocally that this decision to withdraw my candidature is borne out of my own freewill volition.
“Accept the assurances of my warm regards, please.”
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