APC makes U-turn, confirms Gagdi as Plateau Reps primary winner

The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday reversed an earlier announcement on the Plateau State House of Representatives primaries and confirmed Yusuf Gagdi as the authentic winner of the party’s primary election in Pankshin, Kanam and Kanke federal constituency amid controversy over multiple declarations.

The controversy followed the emergence of different results and claims by separate individuals after the primary election, with party officials insisting that only duly appointed returning officers had the authority to declare winners.

BusinessDay earlier reported that on Monday, Daspan, while announcing the result in Pankshin on Sunday declared that John Tongshinen polled 29,968 votes to defeat incumbent lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi, who secured 5,849 votes in the direct primary election conducted across the constituency.

“By the powers conferred on me as the chairman of this committee, I hereby declare Dr John Tongshinen as the winner of the primaries for Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency based on the records available to me,” Daspan had stated while announcing the outcome of the exercise.

Daspan also said officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies monitored the primary election, insisting that the process was conducted in line with approved guidelines and electoral procedures.

However, in a dramatic twist on Monday, Stella Okotete, chairman of the APC electoral committee in Plateau State, said that the primaries across the state were peaceful, transparent and credible, adding that materials were successfully distributed to all constituencies for the exercise.

She said, “The reports I received indicate that the primaries were peaceful, transparent and credible, reflecting the strength of the APC”.

Okotete dismissed claims that no election was held in PKK due to late arrival of materials, insisting that elections took place in all wards with evidence available to support the process.

“There was no election in PKK because of the late arrival of materials only exists in the imagination of those making such allegations. Elections were conducted in all the wards, and we have videos showing activities at the polling units on the day of the exercise,” she said.

She maintained that only authorised officials could announce election results, warning that anyone who declared results outside the approved process committed impersonation and could face legal action.

According to her, the officially declared result by Nandom Kura, the authentic returning officer showed that Yusuf Gagdi, the winner polled 29,207 votes out of 31,150 votes cast, despite reports that at least two other persons announced separate results for the same exercise.

Speaking on the controversy, Gagdi said the party leadership had issued three different announcements before eventually confirming the declaration made by Nandom Kura as the legitimate result.

He said, “The chairman of the electoral committee clearly told journalists that all the eight federal constituencies had appointed officials to conduct the elections. The returning officer who declared me the winner also confirmed that Andrew Kura’s announcement stands because he was the duly appointed returning officer for my federal constituency”.