Former Senate Minority Leader, Simon Davou Mwadkwon, has called for unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his overwhelming victory in the party’s Plateau North Senatorial District primary election ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a media interface on Monday, May 25, Mwadkwon described the APC primary as an “in-house affair” and urged party members to close ranks and work together for victory in the forthcoming general election.
According to him, he secured over 48,000 votes in the primary, defeating his closest contender who polled about 4,000 votes.
“Today, by God’s providence, I am the Senate candidate of the APC. The APC has been gracious enough to provide the platform for which I aspired, and today I won the primary with over 48,000 votes. The closest person to me had about 4,000 votes,” he said.
He appealed to supporters and party faithful not to mock or sideline those who lost in the contest, insisting that the APC remains one family.
“As winners, there is no winner-takes-all. It was an in-house matter between brothers and sisters. We are extending an olive branch to everyone so that we can move together as a family towards 2027,” he stated.
Mwadkwon also congratulated Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang on his victory in the governorship primary, saying the governor’s performance reflected the confidence the people have in his leadership.
The former senator, who represented Plateau North in the Senate and briefly served as Senate Minority Leader before the Appeal Court judgment that nullified several PDP legislative victories in Plateau State, reflected on his political journey.
He recalled winning elections into the House of Representatives and later defeating a sitting senator during the PDP senatorial primary in 2022 before emerging victorious in the 2023 general election.
“Since 1999, nobody had won all the six local governments in Plateau North during a senatorial election until 2023 when, by the grace of God, we won all the six local governments,” he said.
Speaking on governance and representation, Mwadkwon said leadership should be centered on humanity rather than religion or ethnicity.
“The human being is the most important consideration in leadership. When you win election, you represent everybody irrespective of religion or ethnicity,” he noted.
He cited former political rival Pam Dachungyang as an example of putting Plateau’s interest above ethnic or religious sentiments during legal battles following the 2023 elections.
On insecurity in Plateau State and other parts of the country, Mwadkwon advocated for the establishment of state police and stronger community policing structures, arguing that local security architecture would better address the recurring attacks in rural communities.
“Everybody globally is becoming a community policeman. If we do not adopt community policing and state police, we will continue to have these problems,” he said.
According to him, security personnel posted from distant communities often struggle to understand local languages, terrain and cultural realities, thereby limiting effective intelligence gathering and response.
He further lamented the persistent killings in rural communities, describing the situation as “very pathetic,” while urging government at all levels to prioritise the protection of lives over infrastructure development.
“No matter what infrastructure you build, human life remains more sacred,” he added.
Mwadkwon also condemned what he described as the arrest and parading of innocent community vigilantes as criminals while armed attackers continue to terrorise communities.
“There is no way people will invade your home, kill your people and somebody defending his community is arrested and paraded as a militia. That is not right,” he stated.
The APC candidate further insisted that terrorism and banditry should not be politicised or linked to religion or ethnicity.
“A terrorist is a terrorist and should be treated as such, regardless of ethnic or religious background,” he said.
On youth empowerment, Mwadkwon said he remains committed to supporting young people through skills acquisition, employment opportunities and empowerment programmes.
“It is not every youth that must go to university. Some can acquire technical skills like welding, POP installation and tailoring, and become employers of labour themselves,” he said.
He also defended the credibility of direct primaries despite complaints from some aspirants, maintaining that popularity and acceptance among party members ultimately determine electoral outcomes.
Reflecting on past elections, he claimed he consistently defeated opponents despite allegedly spending less money during primaries and general elections.
“I believe the most accepted candidate will always emerge victorious,” he said.
