The All Progressives Congress has reversed the outcome of its Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam House of Representatives primary election in Plateau State, declaring incumbent lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi as the authentic winner.
The reversal was announced on Monday at the party’s state secretariat in Jos by the Chairman of the APC Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete.
Okotete dismissed the earlier result that declared Dr John Tongshinen winner of the contest, describing the announcement as unauthorised and invalid.
“Only the officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Kura, has the constitutional authority to declare the results of the primary election,” she stated.
She stressed that “any prior announcements made outside this mandate were invalid and should be disregarded.”
Following the clarification, the recognised returning officer, Nandom Kura, officially declared Gagdi winner of the APC primary election for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam federal constituency conducted on Saturday.
The development comes after an earlier declaration made on Sunday at the constituency headquarters in Pankshin by one Monday Daspan, who announced Tongshinen as winner with 29,968 votes against Gagdi’s 5,849 votes.
In the earlier announcement, Daspan had claimed that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security personnel monitored the exercise.
Reacting to the controversy, Gagdi rejected the initial declaration, insisting that the primary election was properly conducted across all 36 electoral wards in the constituency.
Addressing journalists in Jos after being confirmed winner, the lawmaker said evidence including accreditation records, videos and photographs supported the credibility of the exercise.
“I am only aware of two announcements, one of which has now been confirmed as illegitimate,” Gagdi said.
He also alleged that the earlier declaration attributed to Daspan Ishaya was fraudulent, maintaining that the individual was never 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,” he stated. “Any declaration outside that authority is null and void.”
The fresh declaration sparked celebrations in parts of Kanam and Pankshin shortly after the announcement of the revised results.
The Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam federal constituency seat remains one of the key political contests being closely monitored ahead of the 2027 general elections.
