APC overturns Plateau Reps' primary result, declares Gagdi winner

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has overturned the result of the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency primary election in Plateau State, declaring incumbent lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi as the winner.

The party announced the reversal on Monday at the APC state secretariat in Jos, barely a day after an earlier result declared John Tongshinen winner of the primary election.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Mr Tongshinen was declared the winner after polling 29,968 votes against Mr Gagdi’s 5,849 votes in the primary election conducted across the constituency.

The earlier result was announced in Pankshin on Sunday by Monday Daspan, who identified himself as the returning officer for the exercise.

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However, addressing journalists on Monday, the Chairperson of the APC Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, dismissed the earlier declaration as unauthorised.

“Only the officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Kura, has the constitutional authority to declare the results of the primary election,” Ms Okotete said.

She added that “any prior announcements made outside this mandate were invalid and should be disregarded.”

Following the clarification, the recognised returning officer, Nandom Kura, announced Mr Gagdi as the winner of the APC primary election for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency.

The Plateau State APC chairman, Rufus Bature, who was present at the briefing alongside other state party officials, publicly aligned himself with Ms Omotete’s position. “She is the one presiding, so her position is clear,” Mr Bature said.

According to results announced by Mr Kura, a total of 31,150 votes were cast during the direct primary election, with Mr Gagdi polling 29,207 votes to defeat four other aspirants.

Mr Gagdi, who represents the constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on Navy, had rejected the earlier declaration shortly after it was announced.

Speaking with journalists in Jos on Monday after being declared the winner, the lawmaker insisted that the primary election was conducted across all 36 wards in the constituency.

According to him, evidence from the exercise included accreditation records, photographs and video recordings.

Mr Gagdi also described the earlier declaration credited to Mr Daspan as fraudulent, arguing that the electoral committee did not appoint the individual.

“The constitution and guidelines of the party clearly vest the power to appoint election officials in the electoral committee,” he said.

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“Any declaration outside that authority is null and void.”

He further stated that he was aware of only two declarations, one of which had now been disowned by the party leadership.

The reversal reportedly sparked celebrations in parts of Pankshin and Kanam local government areas shortly after the announcement of the revised result.

The Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency contest has emerged as one of the closely watched APC primary elections in Plateau State ahead of the 2027 general elections.