APC Committee Clears Air, Declares Gagdi Authentic Winner of PKK Primary

The political atmosphere in Plateau State took another dramatic twist on Monday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) electoral committee officially affirmed Rt. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi as the rightful winner of the party’s primary election for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency.

The clarification came amidst growing controversy and conflicting claims surrounding the outcome of the keenly contested primary election held over the weekend.

Addressing journalists in Jos, the Chairman of the APC electoral committee, Stella Okotete, firmly rejected an earlier declaration allegedly made by one Daspan Ishaya, describing it as unauthorized and lacking any constitutional legitimacy. She stressed that the party’s electoral process is guided by laid-down procedures and that only the officially appointed returning officer has the authority to declare election results.

According to her, Barr. Nandom Andrew Kura was the duly recognized returning officer assigned by the committee to conduct and announce the results of the PKK primary election. She therefore urged party members, supporters, and the general public to disregard any contrary declaration circulating in the public space.

Moments after the clarification, Barr. Kura proceeded to formally announce Hon. Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the APC primary election, bringing a new dimension to the unfolding political developments within the constituency.

Reacting to the announcement, Gagdi maintained that the primary election was conducted peacefully and transparently across all the 36 electoral wards in the constituency. He expressed confidence in the credibility of the exercise, noting that there was enough evidence to validate the process, including accreditation materials, video recordings, and photographs from the various polling locations.

The lawmaker dismissed suggestions that there were multiple legitimate results, insisting that only one declaration followed due process. He described the earlier announcement credited to Daspan Ishaya as fraudulent, arguing that the individual neither acted on behalf of the electoral committee nor possessed the constitutional authority to declare results.

According to Gagdi, the APC constitution clearly outlines the responsibilities of the electoral committee, including the appointment of election officials and the official declaration of results. Any action outside those provisions, he argued, remains invalid.

He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the earlier declaration, raising concerns over the credibility and role allegedly played by the individual involved during the exercise.

The PKK APC primary election has continued to attract widespread attention across Plateau State, not only because of the influence of Hon. Yusuf Gagdi in the constituency, but also due to the intense political interests shaping the build-up to the 2027 general elections.