A social and gender advocate, Hon. Jiritmwa Goyit, has emerged as the candidate to contest for the seat of Kanke state constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly in a repeated primary conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday.
Recall that the Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, last week ordered a fresh primary election within seven days by the PDP into the constituency following irregularities that marred the previous one and led to litigation.
In line with the Federal High Court judgment, the state chapter of the party on Wednesday conducted the primary at the Kanke township stadium to enable the party to field a candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.
Four aspirants for the re-run primary were Hon. Shikir Nuhu Caleb, Jirtma Goyit, Wushanka Gyigole, and Bedir Godwin Wudapga, while 26 delegates participated in the primary.
The primary, which lasted until the early hours of Thursday due to the late arrival of delegates, was devoid of any rancor and went smoothly until the winner emerged
Declaring the result, Chairman of the Electoral Committee for Kanke Constituency Re-Run Primary, Hon. Henry Tenebe, declared Goyit the winner with 19 votes, while other aspirants, Hon. Shikir Nuhu Caleb, got 5 votes, Hon. Wushanka L. Gyigole scored 1 vote, and Hon. Bedir Godwin Wudapgak got 1 vote, respectively.
The electoral committee chairman thereby declared Goyit who scored the most votes, the winner of the Kanke rerun elections.
“The contest is between four persons; they are in line with the Federal High Court judgment to conduct fresh PDP primary elections into Kanke State Constituency. Hon. Jiritmwa Goyit has emerged the winner of the repeat primary elections ahead of the 2023 general elections in Plateau State.
“Honorable Jiritmwa M. Goyit, having scored the most votes, is hereby declared winner of the Kanke rerun elections for Kanke State Constituency today, November 30, 2023,” he said.
State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. John Akans, who described the re-run primary as a victory for democracy, said the person who actually protested the earlier primary and dragged the party to court won the repeated primary.
According to him, the re-run primary was conducted based on the court directive and in line with the Electoral Act, and he charged the other aspirants to close ranks and commence preparation for the election slated for next year.
