The All Progressives Congress has officially declared incumbent Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam House of Representatives primary in Plateau State. This decision reverses an earlier, unauthorized announcement that had previously named John Tongshinen as the victor.
Stella Okotete, who leads the APC Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, made the announcement on Monday at the party’s secretariat in Jos.
She clarified that the initial declaration was illegitimate, as it was not issued by the officially appointed returning officer, Nandom Kura.
According to Okotete, only Kura holds the authority to announce election outcomes, and any prior statements made by other individuals are void.
Following this official correction, Kura confirmed Yusuf Gagdi as the successful candidate for the PKK federal constituency seat.
The confusion stemmed from a Sunday announcement by Monday Daspan, who had claimed Tongshinen won with 29,968 votes against Gagdi’s 5,849.
Yusuf Gagdi, currently serving as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Navy, had contested the initial results.
Speaking to reporters in Jos, he asserted that the primary election proceeded across all 36 wards, supported by verified evidence including photographic and video documentation.
Gagdi dismissed the earlier declaration as fraudulent, noting that Daspan lacked the legal standing to announce results. News of Gagdi’s victory sparked widespread celebrations across Kanam and Pankshin.
