The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, has dismissed earlier results announced in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam House of Representatives primary election, describing them as unauthorized.
The committee subsequently declared Yusuf Gagdi as the valid winner of the APC primary for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam federal constituency.
Addressing journalists in Jos on Monday, Okotete clarified that only the officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Andrew Kura, has the constitutional authority to declare results of the primary election.
She stressed that any prior declaration made outside that mandate was invalid and should be disregarded by party members and the public.
Following the clarification, Kura, acting in his capacity as the duly recognized returning officer, formally announced Gagdi as the winner of the primary election held on Saturday.
Reacting to the declaration, Gagdi maintained that the exercise was properly conducted across all 36 electoral wards in the constituency.
He said evidence including accreditation records, video footage and photographs exists to support the credibility and transparency of the process.
The lawmaker dismissed reports suggesting multiple valid results had emerged from the exercise, insisting that he was aware of only two announcements, one of which has now been officially invalidated.
Gagdi further alleged that an earlier declaration attributed to Daspan Ishaya was fraudulent.
According to him, Ishaya was never appointed by the electoral committee and therefore lacked the legal authority to announce any election result.
“The constitution and guidelines of the party clearly vest the power to appoint election officials in the electoral committee. Any declaration outside that authority is null and void,” Gagdi said.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the unauthorized announcement, pointing to inconsistencies surrounding the individual’s role during the conduct of the election.
Following the official declaration, jubilation reportedly broke out in parts of Kanam and Pankshin as supporters celebrated Gagdi’s emergence as the APC candidate.
What You Should Know
The controversy surrounding the APC primary in Plateau highlights the internal tensions often associated with party primaries in Nigeria, where conflicting result announcements can trigger disputes and legal challenges.
By nullifying the earlier declaration, the APC electoral committee appears to be reasserting procedural authority and attempting to avoid prolonged confusion.
Yusuf Gagdi’s emergence strengthens his political standing in the constituency, but the dispute may still generate reactions from rival camps.
Such disputes often test party cohesion ahead of general elections and could influence local political alignments in Plateau State as 2027 approaches.
