Plateau APC Primary Committee Declares Gagdi Winner, Disowns Earlier Results

The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, has dismissed earlier results announced in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) House of Representatives primary election, describing them as unauthorized.

The committee also declared Hon Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the primary election.

LEADERSHIP recall that Mr Monday Daspan had declared a different outcome, recognising John Tongshinen as the winner and suggesting that the incumbent lawmaker, Yusuf Gagdi, lost the party’s ticket

Okotete who addressed newsmen in Jos on Monday clarified that only the officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Andrew Kura, has the constitutional authority to declare the results of the primary election.

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

Following the clarification, Kura, who served as the duly recognized returning officer, officially declared Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the APC primary election for the PKK federal constituency, held on Saturday.

According to the 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.

Gagdi while addressing journalists after the declaration insisted that the process was duly conducted across all 36 electoral wards, with evidence including accreditation records, videos, and photographs to support the credibility of the exercise.

He dismissed claims of multiple results, stating that he was only aware of two announcements, one of which has now been confirmed as illegitimate.

Gagdi further alleged that an earlier declaration attributed to one Daspan Ishaya was fraudulent, noting that the individual was not appointed by the electoral committee and therefore lacked the authority to announce 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 said.

Gagdi also questioned the credibility of the unauthorized announcement, alleging inconsistencies in the individual’s role during the election process.

LEADERSHIP reports that jubilation broke out immediately in some parts of Kanam and Pankshin immediately the recent results was announced.