AMAC Legislative Council Ousts Speaker, Elects New Leader.
The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Legislative Council has impeached its speaker, Matthew Yare, and elected a new presiding officer in a significant leadership shake-up. On Monday, 1 September 2025, the council removed Yare, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillor representing Nyanya ward, and replaced him with Jankaro Ibrahim, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member from Kabusa ward.
The impeachment took place during a brief council session, where a motion to remove Yare was introduced by Mathias Aliu, the councillor for Wuse ward. The motion was put to a voice vote by deputy speaker Tony Onoja, with the majority of councillors supporting Yare’s removal. Ibrahim was subsequently elected as the new speaker, assuming office immediately. The session, which began before 8 a.m., saw the absence of the four PDP councillors, while the eight APC members, who now form the majority in the 12-ward council, drove the leadership change.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, Ibrahim attributed Yare’s impeachment to the APC’s numerical dominance in the council. “We are eight APC councillors, and the PDP members are only four. It is only normal for us to lead,” he said. The shift in leadership follows a broader trend of political realignment in AMAC, notably marked by the defection of council chairman Christopher Zakka Maikalangu from the PDP to the APC in April 2024, alongside thousands of supporters. While several councillors followed suit, Yare and three others remained loyal to the PDP, creating tension within the council.
The change in leadership reflects the APC’s growing influence in AMAC’s legislative arm, which oversees local governance for one of the Federal Capital Territory’s most prominent municipal councils. Ibrahim, now tasked with presiding over council debates and maintaining order, pledged to foster unity and ensure effective representation for all wards. “My focus is on delivering good governance and addressing the needs of our people,” he told reporters.
The impeachment has sparked mixed reactions. Some residents view it as a necessary step to align the council’s leadership with the majority party, while others see it as a power play that could deepen political divisions. The PDP has yet to issue an official statement on Yare’s removal, but sources within the party suggest it may challenge the process, citing the absence of its councillors during the vote.
As AMAC navigates this transition, the new speaker faces the challenge of balancing party interests with the council’s responsibility to deliver services and infrastructure to its diverse communities. The leadership change underscores the dynamic nature of local politics in Nigeria’s capital, where party affiliations continue to shape governance structures.