Electoral Committee Ends Confusion, Announces Gagdi as APC Candidate for PKK

The controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency took a dramatic turn as the party’s electoral committee nullified an earlier declaration and officially announced the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, as the authentic winner of the exercise. The development has since stirred reactions across the constituency, further intensifying political discussions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in Jos on Monday, the Chairman of the APC electoral committee, Stella Okotete, dismissed the earlier announcement credited to one Daspan Ishaya, describing it as unauthorized and without constitutional backing. According to her, only the duly appointed returning officer possessed the legal authority to announce the outcome of the primary election.

She explained that Barr. Nandom Andrew Kura remained the only recognized returning officer approved by the committee to oversee and declare the results of the exercise. Consequently, she maintained that any declaration made outside that authority was null, void, and should be disregarded by party members and the public.

Following the clarification by the committee, Barr. Nandom Andrew Kura proceeded to officially declare Hon. Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the APC primary election for the PKK Federal Constituency conducted on Saturday.

Reacting shortly after the declaration, Gagdi expressed confidence in the credibility of the process, insisting that the election was properly conducted across all the 36 electoral wards within the constituency. He noted that there was substantial evidence to support the legitimacy of the exercise, including accreditation records, video footage, and photographs documenting the conduct of the primary.

The lawmaker further dismissed insinuations that multiple valid results existed, stressing that he was only aware of two announcements, one of which had now been discredited by the electoral committee. According to him, the earlier declaration allegedly made by Daspan Ishaya was fraudulent since the individual was neither appointed by the committee nor authorized under the party’s constitution to announce election results.

Gagdi emphasized that the APC constitution and electoral guidelines clearly vest the responsibility of appointing election officials and declaring results in the hands of the electoral committee. Therefore, he argued that any action taken outside that framework lacked legitimacy and could not stand.

He also questioned the credibility of the earlier announcement, citing what he described as inconsistencies surrounding the role allegedly played by the individual during the conduct of the election.

The APC primary election in the PKK Federal Constituency has remained one of the most closely monitored political contests in Plateau State, largely due to the political influence of Hon. Yusuf Gagdi and the fierce competition shaping the race ahead of the 2027 general elections.