KUDURU, BWARI AREA COUNCIL — Concern is growing in Kuduru Ward over the whereabouts of the newly elected councillor following weeks of limited visibility and difficulty reaching him since the Area Council elections.
The councillor, who emerged as the elected representative of Kuduru Ward after the election, was reportedly seen for some weeks after the election but has since become largely inaccessible, both physically and by phone.
His sudden absence has left residents asking questions.
Is he ill? Has he been hospitalised? Is there another personal or official matter keeping him away?
At the moment, there is no confirmed information from the councillor, his family, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or the Bwari Area Council explaining his whereabouts or current condition.
For residents of Kuduru, however, the issue goes beyond curiosity.
Who is representing Kuduru?
Councillors have an important role within the Area Council system. They participate in deliberations and decisions on matters affecting their wards and the wider communities of the Bwari Area Council.
With the newly elected representative reportedly unavailable, residents are increasingly concerned that Kuduru may not be receiving the representation it deserves.
In a democratic system, voters do not simply elect individuals; they elect representatives to speak for them, participate in governance and bring the concerns of their communities to the decision-making table.
The prolonged uncertainty surrounding Kuduru’s elected councillor has therefore created what residents see as a troubling gap in local representation.
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Could the seat be declared vacant?
This is where the legal question becomes important.
The 2026 Electoral Act provides specifically for vacancies in FCT Area Councils. Section 107 states that where a vacancy occurs, a bye-election is to be held within 30 days of the vacancy, subject to the statutory conditions concerning the timing of the Area Council’s dissolution.
The law does not simply provide that the second runner-up automatically takes over the seat.
Similarly, the political party does not, merely because its elected candidate has become difficult to reach, automatically acquire the power to appoint another person to occupy an elected councillor’s seat.
There must first be a legally recognised vacancy.
The 2026 Electoral Act also establishes an FCT Area Council Election Tribunal with jurisdiction to determine questions relating to whether a councillor was validly elected, the term of an elected councillor and whether the seat of an Area Council member has become vacant.
This means that being unreachable, absent from public view or unavailable by telephone does not, by itself, establish that the seat is vacant.
The actual circumstances surrounding the councillor would have to be established before any lawful replacement process could begin.
What happens if there is a vacancy?
If the seat is formally established as vacant and the statutory conditions are met, the law points towards a bye-election, rather than simply handing the mandate to the second runner-up or allowing the PDP to nominate another candidate to inherit the seat.
That raises an important question for Kuduru:
If the councillor cannot be reached and cannot discharge his responsibilities, at what point does his absence become a matter requiring official intervention?
And perhaps more importantly:
Who has the responsibility to establish the facts and provide Kuduru residents with answers?
Kuduru wants answers
For now, residents are not necessarily demanding that the councillor be removed or replaced. Many simply want to know where their elected representative is and whether he is safe and capable of carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to him by the people.
The questions being raised across the community are straightforward:
- Where is the councillor?
- Is he sick or receiving medical attention?
- Is there another reason for his prolonged absence?
- Has the PDP been informed of his situation?
- Has the Bwari Area Council been formally notified?
- And if the seat is eventually determined to be vacant, what does the law require?
These questions are becoming increasingly important because the issue is no longer only about one individual. It is about representation, accountability and the health of local democracy in Kuduru.
BwariTimes understands the concerns being expressed by residents and will continue to monitor developments and seek clarification from the relevant authorities.
Until the facts are established, no conclusion should be drawn about the councillor’s health, safety or whereabouts.
But one thing is clear: Kuduru wants answers.
Follow BwariTimes as we continue to monitor this developing matter.
BwariTimes could not independently confirm the councillor’s current whereabouts or the reason for his reported absence as of publication.
