The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is one of the six area councils that make up the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The areas cover a lot of parts in Abuja, which include Wuse to Maitama and even stretch into rural communities on the outskirts of the capital.
The FCT was formally established by decree in the Federal Capital Territory Act of 1976. The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) was tasked with building and developing this project, and after the planning kicked off, the FCT was conceptually divided into at least nine development areas.
In 1987, those nine development areas were officially reconstituted into six area councils, which remain the core administrative subunits of the FCT to date. The six area councils are: Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari Area Council, Gwagwalada Area Council, Kuje Area Council, Kwali Area Council, Abaji Area Council.
AMAC is in charge of maintaining grassroots governance, basic services, and the day-to-day needs of residents living within the council. The council is considered the closest arm of government in the FCT, and it is heavily relied on by the residents to offer services like waste management, health centres, primary education, local roads, sanitation, and revenue collection.
The council helps keep the city organised and functioning efficiently. When things aren’t kept in check, it results in various issues like dirty streets, unsafe communities plagued by robbery, vandalism of electrical equipment, poor drainage, and unregulated markets.
In order for things to run smoothly, AMAC needs solid leadership that focuses on providing transparency and is also community-driven. The right leadership should prioritise accountability, modern revenue collection, security partnerships, environmental cleanliness, and infrastructure that truly supports a growing population.
Although the leadership aims to run an effective administration, there have been complaints by many Abuja citizens about the state of affairs. In recent times, there has been a rise in armed robberies and attacks on citizens. The popular “one chance” kidnappers seem to have grown more emboldened in recent times and have caused distress, with many fearing the use of public transportation.
The issue of refuse dump has also become a prevalent one, with many reporting sightings of roadside refuse dumps and herds of cattle leaving behind a trail of faeces in the middle of the road while causing traffic.
AMAC needs a leader who doesn’t just sit in offices but actively engages communities, responds quickly to urban issues, and runs the council with a clear blueprint for development, not politics. On this note, 16 candidates for the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions have been nominated and are set for election in 2026.
The list of candidates includes:
1. Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu (APC) is running for AMAC Chairman with Hon. Yusuf Mohammed Nadabo as his vice-chair candidate.
2. Hon. Zadna Dintani (PDP) AMAC chairmanship candidate paired with Idris Abduljaljal, his vice-chair candidate
3. Hon. Robert Madaki (YPP) is the Young Progressives Party AMAC chairmanship candidate with his chosen running mate, Yakubu Mustapha.
4. Moses Paul (ADC) is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) AMAC chairmanship candidate alongside his vice-chair candidate, Nebo Nneka.
5. Agbon Akanimoh Vaniah of the A Party is running for AMAC Chairman, and Usman Nurudeen is running as his Vice-Chairman.
6. Nemieboka Godson Tamunomiesam of the AA Party is contesting for AMAC Chairman, with Babawa Philip Abmidanyadu as his Vice-Chairman.
7. Paul Moses Ogidi of the ADC is contesting for AMAC Chairman, and Nebo Nneka Emmanuela is his Vice-Chairman.
8. Richard Elizabeth of the ADP is the AMAC Chairmanship candidate, with Alphonsus Christopher running as her Vice-Chairman.
9. Zakka Christopher of the APC is contesting for AMAC Chairman, and Mohammed Yusuf Nadabo is contesting as his Vice-Chairman.
10. Eze Onyebuchi Chukwu of the APGA is running for AMAC Chairman, with Jibril Hussaini contesting as his Vice-Chairman.
11. Chukwu Promise Obumneme of the APM is contesting for AMAC Chairman, while Abdullahi Muhammed is his Vice-Chairman.
12. Ugoh Toochi Michael of the APP is running for AMAC Chairman, with Thomas Happiness as his Vice-Chairman.
13. Muhammad Kabir Umar of the BP Party is contesting for AMAC Chairman, with Abubakar Umar as his Vice-Chairman.
14. Jibrin Alhassan of the NNPP is running for AMAC Chairman, while Ezeudeogu Chukwunonso is running as his Vice-Chairman.
15. Samson Usseini of the NRM is contesting for AMAC Chairman, and Musa Samson is contesting as his Vice-Chairman.
16. Simon Obinna of the SDP is running for AMAC Chairman, and Jogo Georgina is contesting as his Vice-Chairman.
To this effect, thejour magazine will be sitting down with some of these candidates to know their plans for AMAC and how they plan to effect the changes that the council deserves.
