Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential hopeful, Gbenga Hashim, has dismissed the claims of electoral victories by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the outcome recent Area Council elections as an illusion.

Hashim, who spoke at a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, said that many of the candidates who emerged victorious on the APC platform were long-standing PDP members who allegedly switched parties under pressure, creating what he termed a false impression of APC strength in the territory.

“In reality, the contest was PDP versus PDP,” Hashim said, adding that “what we witnessed was the deployment of massive resources and state institutions to manufacture the appearance of competition.”

He remarked in a statement that “the FCT remains a traditional stronghold of the PDP and cautioned party members against what he described as engineered political narratives aimed at distorting the electoral reality in the territory”.

Hashim then urged supporters to remain united and committed to grassroots mobilisation, stressing that authentic political strength derives from popular support rather than what he called manipulated outcomes.

Meanwhile, the meeting drew party chairmen from the six Area Councils, ward chairmen, and members of the State Executive Committee, among other stakeholders.

In a show of solidarity, the FCT PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Mohammed Dogara, moved a motion reaffirming the chapter’s support for Hashim’s 2027 presidential aspiration.

The motion was seconded by a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Honourable Isa Dobi, and received broad endorsement from attendees.

Stakeholders at the meeting also commended Hashim for his support to party candidates before and during the Area Council elections.

They called for the immediate release of party members allegedly detained by security agencies, claiming the arrests were intended to influence the electoral outcome.

Political observers said that the developments underscore intensifying rivalry between the PDP and APC in the FCT ahead of the 2027 general elections, with both parties positioning to consolidate their influence in the nation’s capital.