The All Progressives Congress has overturned the outcome of the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency primary election in Plateau State, declaring incumbent lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi as the authentic winner after disowning an earlier result that named John Tongshinen victorious.
The dramatic reversal, announced on Monday at the APC state secretariat in Jos, has intensified political tension within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Chairperson of the APC Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, said the earlier declaration made on Sunday was unauthorised and should be disregarded.
According to her, only the officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Kura, had the constitutional authority to announce the result of the primary election.
“Any prior announcements made outside this mandate were invalid and should be disregarded,” Okotete told journalists during the briefing.
Kura subsequently announced Yusuf Gagdi, who currently represents the constituency in the House of Representatives, as the winner of the exercise.
The APC had earlier witnessed confusion after another official, Monday Daspan, declared Tongshinen winner of the primary election at the constituency headquarters in Pankshin on Sunday.
Daspan had announced that Tongshinen polled 29,968 votes, while Gagdi secured 5,849 votes in the exercise allegedly monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies.
But the party leadership in Plateau distanced itself from the announcement, insisting Daspan lacked the authority to declare the result.
Plateau APC chairman, Rufus Bature, publicly aligned with Okotete’s position, saying the committee’s clarification represented the official stance of the party.
Following the reversal, Kura announced fresh figures showing that 31,150 votes were cast during the direct primary election, with Gagdi polling 29,207 votes to defeat four other aspirants.
Gagdi, who chairs the House Committee on Navy, had earlier rejected the initial declaration and insisted the primary election was properly conducted across all 36 wards in the federal constituency.
Speaking with journalists in Jos after being confirmed winner, the lawmaker described the earlier declaration as fraudulent.
“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.
He added that accreditation records, photographs and video evidence from the exercise supported the credibility of the election process.
Gagdi also questioned the identity and authority of the official who announced the earlier result, insisting the party’s electoral committee never appointed him.
The reversal immediately sparked celebrations in parts of Pankshin and Kanam local government areas, where supporters of the lawmaker gathered after the fresh declaration.
The Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency contest has emerged as one of the most closely watched APC primaries in Plateau State ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly because of Gagdi’s influence within the National Assembly and the growing political realignments within the state chapter of the party.
Political observers say the controversy surrounding the primary may deepen internal divisions within the APC in Plateau if not carefully managed before the general election season intensifies.
The development also adds to a growing list of disputes trailing party primaries across the country as political parties begin early preparations for the next electoral cycle.
