A dramatic twist has emerged in the All Progressives Congress primary election for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency following the clarification of an earlier result announcement by unauthorized persons.
The committee on Monday confirmed that only the returning officer that declared Yusuf Adamu Gagdi as the winner of the APC House of Representatives primary election was the legitimate one, after dismissing an earlier declaration that had announced John Tongshinen victorious.
Chairman of the Plateau APC Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, said the earlier announcement was unauthorized and invalid.
Addressing journalists in Jos, Okotete explained that only the officially appointed returning officer had the constitutional authority to declare the results of the primary election.
“The only officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Andrew Kura, has the constitutional authority to declare the results of the primary election,” she said.
She added that any declaration made outside that mandate should be disregarded.
Following the clarification, the committee said the recognized returning officer, Nandom Andrew Kura, officially declared Gagdi winner of the APC primary election conducted on Saturday across the constituency.
Reacting to the development, Gagdi maintained that the primary election was credible and properly conducted across all 36 electoral wards in the constituency.
Speaking with journalists after the declaration, the lawmaker said the exercise was backed by evidence including accreditation records, photographs, and video materials.
He also dismissed claims suggesting the existence of multiple results, insisting that he was only aware of two announcements, one of which had now been invalidated by the electoral committee.
Gagdi further alleged that the earlier declaration attributed to Daspan Ishaya was fraudulent, arguing that the individual was neither appointed by the electoral committee nor authorized to announce election results.
“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,” he stated.
The reversal of the earlier result has generated fresh controversy within the constituency, with supporters of the earlier declared winner reportedly expressing dissatisfaction over the development.
The APC primary election in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency has remained one of the most closely watched contests in Plateau State due to Gagdi’s political influence and the intense competition surrounding the race ahead of the 2027 general elections.
