Hon. Ahmed Abubakar Medugu is the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). A grassroots politician and former Councillor of Nyanya Ward in FCT. In this interview, the veteran politician says, the ruling party (APC) will win all the elective positions including president, in 2027 general elections in FCT.
Campaign has begun, how prepared are your party in AMAC?
We have gone far in the area of planning as far as AMAC is concerned. This is because AMAC is like a state especially in the area of population. Less than two weeks that the campaign officially kicked off; we have done a lot of work for the smooth win of Mr. President, our senatorial candidate as well as House of Reps member. I had a meeting with my 12 wards (in AMAC) chairmen. I instructed them on what to do at the wards level. I asked them to source for a leader of each polling unit for the entire 1401 polling units we have in AMAC; which of course, they have submitted their names to me. This means, we have 1401 men/women already on ground as leaders/coordinators of those various poling units. At the ward level, the stakeholders have submitted 10 first names of critical stakeholders for each ward, in addition, they have also added 20 other stakeholders including all the former councillors, and other relevant stakeholders. Having done that, I again, asked them to get 10 persons each -committed members that they know from each of those polling units to serve as our canvassers and poling units’ excos. If you multiply 10 by 1401, we have 14010 men/women on ground at the polling units. At ward level, we have 27 executives each; if you also multiply that by 12 (wards), it will give you 324. If you look at the other critical stakeholders that we mentioned earlier, and added that of canvassers as well as the executives at the ward level, you would discover that we have enough hands on ground. In each ward, we have men/women on ground that are working for the victory of the party.
In 2023, your party didn’t get 25 per cent for Mr. President. Are you saying it won’t repeat in 2027?
Not at all. It won’t. Mr. President and the minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike has made our job so simple. They have done so much for the people of FCT. The projects are there for everybody to see. Our senatorial candidate, Sen. Philip Tanimu Aduda has also been instrumental in this assignment. He has been with the FCT minister, and be a son of the FCT, he knows every nook and cranny of FCT, because he has been on ground. That also has helped the FCT minister and the senatorial candidate; because they are very close. Anywhere you see FCT minister especially in the area of project commissioning or flag-off, you’ll see distinguished Sen. Philip Tanimu Aduda with him. Our House of Rep candidate comes from Bwari. If Bwari should also do their homework properly, I can assure you that he will coast home to victory; because we will do our own job well from the AMAC.
How are you reconciling with the aggrieved members?
In any family, misunderstanding will surely come; but in such situation, you deploy settlement or peace mechanism. That is the phase we are now. Some of our members might felt offensive due to some actions of the party. We are setting out reconciliation mechanism. There is need to reach them so that we can come together to work as a united family for the victory of our party. Under my leadership, the unity of the party is very important. That is why we’re doing everything possible to mend fences.
Can you talk same in the area of preparations for the other councils?
I’m AMAC APC chairman. My jurisdiction is AMAC. So, I don’t have the power to speak on behalf of other chairmen. But we have a forum where all the chairmen meet. I have unveiled my template to them. If anyone of them wants to key into it, fine. But I’m very sure they are also working hard for the success of our party in 2027 general elections.
I have been in FCT since 1992; that was 34 years ago. I know every nook and cranny of the FCT. I was a councillor in 2007, and has been a grassroots politician. I have also been consistency – I have not moved from this party (APC). I was a member of a political party that metamorphosed into APC and since then, I have remained in the party.
Our strategy may be different from the previous ones in the area of campaign. This time around, you may not see us gathering crowd or making unnecessary noise. We are focusing on direct access to the electorates; which was why we introduced the earlier template that I mentioned.
What is your message to AMAC electorates?
I want to begin by thanking them for their support during the FCT council polls. They came out en mass to vote for the re-election of AMAC chairman, Hon. Christopher Maikalangu for his second term in office. The AMAC chairman has performed very well; and that will be another big plus to us. He is the one to lead the campaign in AMAC, while I’ll serve as his deputy. At ward level, the councillors are to lead the campaign, while the party ward chairmen are to serve as their deputies.
All the structures I have listed above, will all work in harmony with the entire leaders at their various domains for the victory of our candidates – Mr. President, Senatorial candidate and House of Rep member.
One thing I can assure you is that the electorates are behind us. We’ve planned very well. With the support of God, victory is guaranteed.
