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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
Protest has erupted within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State over the party’s primaries for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, as the party prepares to upload and publish the names of its flag bearers for various positions, in line with the Electoral Act, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A group of Concerned APC Stakeholders/Youths of Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency stormed the party secretariat in Jos, as one of their own, Hon. John Tongshinen, submitted a petition insisting that he remained the winner of the federal constituency’s primaries conducted by the party in June.
The Chairman of the Concerned APC Stakeholders/Youths of Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Mr Sadiq Abdulahi Kwaltomai, insisted that the election had been conducted before security and INEC personnel, with results declared at the federal constituency headquarters, as against a declaration he described as having been fraudulently carried out in a hotel.
The earlier announced winner of the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency primaries, Hon. John Tongshinen, vowed not to allow his mandate to be stolen from him and from the people who had confidently voted for him to represent them at the Green Chamber in Abuja.
He said the will of the people cannot be truncated, hence the need for the party to do the right thing, reiterating his position on defending the mandate of the people.
According to Tongshinen, “Our reason for being here is to prevent what we call the stealing of the public mandate entrusted to me by the people of PKK to represent them in Abuja. But suddenly, we saw in circulation an alternative, AI generated result declaring a certain Hon. Yusuf Gagdi as the winner.
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“This is our continuous agitation, which can never be denied. You may delay it, but you cannot deny it. As far as we are concerned, we have explored all legitimate means already. This is an indication that we will continue to agitate until the right thing is done, as long as certain people are boasting in the streets that they are the winners, and we will keep pushing until the right thing is done,” he stated.
Tongshinen charged the party thus: “The party leadership, both at the national and state levels, must do what is the will of the people. We intend to protect the sanctity of the people’s mandate. The APC must live by example by defending the will of the people.
“If the people of Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam are saying that they will not accept any AI generated result, any AI generated candidate and any AI generated winner, then what are we saying?
“We are not going to leave this party. We are members of this party, and we are going to fight until the right thing is done,” he restated.
Among the demands of the protesters is a review of the APC primaries in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, among others, as contained in the petition.
“Accordingly, we respectfully demand the following: an immediate review of all issues arising from the conduct of the primary election; a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the rejection or displacement of the duly appointed collation officers communicated by the Plateau State Secretariat.
“A determination of the legal and procedural basis, if any, upon which alternative officers emerged after the original officers had completed their assignment; recognition and protection of the authority of duly constituted party structures in Plateau State; immediate steps to ensure that the genuine votes cast by APC members are protected and that the authentic outcome of the election is not compromised; and appropriate remedial measures necessary to restore confidence in the integrity of the party’s internal democratic processes.”
