The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, has dismissed an earlier result announced in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) House of Representatives primary election, describing it as unauthorised and invalid.
Okotete made the clarification while addressing journalists in Jos on Monday, stressing that only the officially appointed returning officer has the constitutional authority to declare the outcome of the election.
She explained that Nandom Andrew Kura, who served as the duly recognised returning officer, is the only person empowered by the party’s guidelines to announce results, adding that any declaration made outside that mandate should be disregarded.
Following the clarification, Kura officially declared Hon. Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the APC House of Representatives primary election for the PKK federal constituency, which was conducted on Saturday.
Reacting after his declaration, Gagdi maintained that the exercise was properly conducted across all 36 electoral wards, insisting that there were verifiable records, including accreditation data, videos and photographs, to support the credibility of the process.
He dismissed claims of conflicting results, stating that he was aware of only two announcements, one of which has now been confirmed as unauthorised.
Gagdi also alleged that an earlier declaration attributed to one Daspan Ishaya was fraudulent, arguing that the individual was not appointed by the electoral committee and therefore lacked the authority to announce results.
He further emphasised that party rules clearly vest the power to appoint electoral officials and declare results in the designated committee, noting that any announcement outside that structure is “null and void.”
“There is no ambiguity in the constitution and guidelines of the party. Any declaration outside that authority is invalid,” Gagdi said.
Reports indicated that jubilation erupted in parts of Kanam and Pankshin following the confirmation of the official result.