The All Progressives Congress (APC) has overturned the earlier outcome of its Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) House of Representatives primary in Plateau State, officially announcing incumbent lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi as the authentic winner.
The party’s decision was made public on Monday at the APC Secretariat in Jos by the Chairman of the Plateau State Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, who described the initial result that favoured John Tongshinen as invalid and unauthorized.
Okotete explained that the earlier announcement was not issued by the properly constituted returning officer, stressing that only the designated official has the authority to declare election results.
She reaffirmed that Nandom Kura remains the only legitimate returning officer empowered to announce the outcome of the primary election.
According to her, any result declared outside that official mandate should be disregarded entirely.
Following the clarification, Kura subsequently announced Yusuf Gagdi as the duly elected APC candidate for the PKK federal constituency primary held on Saturday.
This latest declaration directly contradicts an earlier announcement made on Sunday at the constituency headquarters in Pankshin by Monday Daspan, which had declared John Tongshinen the winner with 29,968 votes against Gagdi’s 5,849 votes.
Daspan had maintained at the time that the election was conducted across all 36 wards and observed by INEC officials and security agencies.
However, the APC electoral committee dismissed that declaration as unauthorized and inconsistent with party guidelines.
Gagdi, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, rejected the earlier result, insisting the election was properly conducted across all wards and supported by verifiable evidence including accreditation records, videos, and photographs.
He further alleged that the earlier announcement lacked legitimacy, claiming the individual who declared Tongshinen winner was not appointed by the electoral committee.
Following the new declaration, Gagdi insisted there was no confusion on his part, stating that only one valid result now stands officially recognized.
The development sparked celebrations in parts of Kanam and Pankshin, where supporters trooped out to celebrate the outcome.
The PKK constituency race remains one of the most closely watched political contests in Plateau State ahead of the 2027 general elections.