APC Members Protest Alleged Imposition of Gagdi in Plateau Reps Primary, Demand Fresh Review

Fresh cracks have emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State after party members staged a peaceful protest over the outcome of the House of Representatives primary election for the Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency.

The protesters, mostly youths from the constituency, converged at the APC state secretariat in Jos, where they accused party officials of undermining internal democracy by allegedly imposing the incumbent lawmaker, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general election.

Carrying placards with messages such as “Protect Internal Democracy,” “Our Votes Must Count,” “Respect Party Structures,” “Justice for PKK Constituency,” and “APC Must Uphold Fairness,” the demonstrators submitted a petition calling for a review of the primary election.

The petition, signed by one of the aspirants, Hon. John Tongshinen Gozhak, on behalf of concerned party members and stakeholders, questioned the credibility of the collation process that produced Gagdi as the party’s candidate. The petitioners alleged that officials from the APC National Secretariat sidelined collation officers officially appointed by the Plateau State chapter and introduced other individuals into the exercise.

According to the petition, the state leadership had earlier communicated the names of designated collation officers to all aspirants before the primary election, and those officials successfully collated results from the various voting centres. However, the protesters claimed the process was later altered by officials from the party’s national headquarters.

“It came as a profound surprise to party members and stakeholders when reports emerged that certain officials or agents deployed from the National Secretariat rejected, displaced or otherwise disregarded the authority of the very officers whose names had earlier been officially communicated by the Plateau State Secretariat,” the petition stated.

The aggrieved members argued that disregarding the work of duly appointed collation officers has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the party’s internal democratic process. They warned that such actions could erode members’ confidence in future primaries if left unaddressed.

Calling for transparency, the protesters demanded an immediate review of the primary election, a thorough investigation into the alleged replacement of collation officers, and measures to ensure that the genuine votes cast by party members are accurately reflected in the final outcome.

Speaking during the protest, Gozhak stressed that the demonstration was peaceful and intended to seek justice through lawful means. “Our peaceful protest and presentation of this petition should be understood as an appeal for justice within the party and not as an act of hostility against the APC,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Yusuf Adamu Gagdi nor the Plateau State chapter of the APC had issued an official response to the allegations contained in the petition.