The Obidient Movement has rejected the outcome of Saturday’s Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election, alleging that the process was marred by violence, intimidation and manipulation.

The group, which backed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Moses Paul, claimed that the victory declared for the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not reflect the will of the electorate and called for an immediate investigation into the conduct of the poll.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the National Coordinator of the movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa, described the election as a coordinated attempt to suppress voters and undermine democracy.

“We address you today with a heavy heart, filled with both profound disappointment and righteous anger. The results of the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship election are not just a political setback; they are a brazen assault on the very foundations of our democracy,” Yunusa said.

The movement alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contributed to voter apathy by restructuring polling units without adequate public notice, making it difficult for voters to locate their centres.

It further claimed that the situation turned violent at the Gwagwa polling unit, where one of its agents, Musa Abubakar, was allegedly killed while resisting attempts by hoodlums to seize ballot boxes. The incident, it said, triggered panic among party representatives in several polling areas.

Yunusa alleged that agents were harassed, threatened and intimidated in a deliberate bid to silence them, forcing some to abandon their posts. He added that the group initially refrained from raising widespread alarm to avoid escalating tension.

While expressing sympathy to the family of the deceased, the movement said Dr Moses Paul and his team had paid a condolence visit in solidarity.

The Obidient Movement maintained that AMAC voters had chosen a new direction and that the declared results did not reflect that choice. It demanded a transparent review of the election and urged security agencies to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the alleged violence.

“This is no longer about one election. This is a fight for the soul of our nation,” the group said, calling on civil society organisations and the international community to press electoral authorities to address the alleged irregularities and restore public confidence in the process.