A group of aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State on Wednesday protested at the party’s secretariat in Jos, alleging irregularities in the primary election for the Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency.
The demonstrators, mostly youths from the constituency, carried placards calling for internal democracy and transparency before submitting a petition challenging the emergence of incumbent lawmaker Yusuf Adamu Gagdi as the party’s candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election.
The petition, signed by aspirant John Tongshinen Gozhak on behalf of concerned stakeholders, alleged that the results compiled by collation officers earlier designated by the state chapter of the party were subsequently set aside by officials said to have come from the national secretariat.
According to the petitioners, the alleged substitution of collation personnel has cast doubt on the credibility of the exercise and undermined members’ confidence in the party’s internal democratic process.
They therefore called for a review of the primary, an investigation into the conduct of the collation, and safeguards to ensure that votes cast by party members are accurately reflected in the final outcome.
“We have therefore chosen the path of peace, dialogue, and lawful engagement. 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,” Gozhak said.
The protesters also urged the Plateau APC leadership to reaffirm the authority of established party structures and restore trust among members.
