The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has dismissed as null and void an earlier result announced in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency House of Representatives primary election, declaring that the purported declaration was made by an unauthorised individual with no mandate from the party.
Chairman of the APC House of Representatives and Senatorial Primaries Exercise Committee in Plateau State, Hon. Stella Okotete, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Jos shortly after the conclusion of the primary elections.
Okotete said the committee successfully conducted the exercise in line with party guidelines and had received reports from all officially appointed collation and returning officers across the constituencies.
Reacting to controversies surrounding the PKK primary, she stated that the earlier announcement circulating online was not recognised by the committee.
“There have been announcements, particularly in PKK, where somebody claiming to be a returning officer reportedly fled the area. We do not know him, and he has no authority to declare results on behalf of this committee,” she said.
She stressed that only officers officially appointed and approved by the committee were empowered to conduct and announce the results of the exercise.
“The collation officers and team members approved by my committee, under my supervision, went out to conduct the exercise. They have done their work and reported back to me accordingly,” Okotete stated.
The committee chairman further clarified that the only constitutionally recognised Returning Officer for the PKK primary election was Barrister Nandom Andrew Kura, insisting that any earlier declaration outside his authority remained invalid.
“The only officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Andrew Kura, has the constitutional authority to declare the outcome of the primary election. Any prior announcement made outside this mandate should be disregarded,” she added.
Following the clarification, Barrister Kura formally declared the Member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, winner of the APC primary election.
Announcing the result at the APC Secretariat in Jos, Kura disclosed that Gagdi secured 29,207 votes out of the 31,150 total votes cast across the 36 electoral wards of the constituency.
He described reports claiming that another aspirant, Hon. Tongshinen, emerged as the winner as fake, misleading and unauthorised.
According to him, one Monday Daspan, allegedly from Mangu Local Government Area, falsely paraded himself as a collation officer and announced fabricated results despite not being appointed by the electoral committee.
Kura maintained that he remained the only recognised officer authorised to declare the outcome of the primary election, warning that legal action may be taken against individuals involved in impersonation and dissemination of false results.
“The constitution and guidelines of the party clearly vest the authority to appoint election officials in the electoral committee. Any declaration outside that authority is null and void,” he stated.
Speaking after the declaration, Gagdi insisted that the primary election was peaceful, transparent and conducted across all wards of the constituency with adequate evidence, including accreditation records, photographs and video coverage.
The federal lawmaker dismissed reports suggesting he lost the primary election, describing them as fake and politically motivated.
“I am only aware of two announcements, and one has already been declared illegitimate by the committee,” Gagdi said.
He cautioned journalists, bloggers and party supporters against spreading unverified reports capable of creating tension within the party and urged his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
