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PKK APC Primaries : Gagdi Secures Ticket with 29,207 Votes, Dismisses Controversial Results
Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi has officially emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency seat ahead of the 2027 general elections, clearing the way for his bid for a third term in the House of Representatives.
The declaration was made on Monday by the Returning Officer for the primary election, Nandom Andrew Kura, following the conclusion of the exercise across the constituency. Kura dismissed reports suggesting that no election took place in PKK, insisting that voting was successfully conducted across all 36 electoral wards despite delays caused by the late arrival of election materials. He stated that evidence, including videos, photographs, accreditation records, and vote-counting processes from polling units, confirmed that the exercise was duly held.
Announcing the results, Kura disclosed that Gagdi secured 29,207 votes out of the total 31,150 votes cast during the primary election. He maintained that he remained the only officially appointed officer authorized by the party to declare the result and submit the report to the APC secretariat. He also condemned earlier announcements made in his name, describing those responsible as imposters whose actions had damaged his reputation and professional integrity.
“Anybody that announced results for PKK other than my humble self is an imposter. The person impersonated me, and I reserve the right to seek legal redress because such actions smeared my image,” Kura stated.
Earlier, Chairman of the Plateau State APC House of Representatives Primaries Electoral Committee, Stella Okotete, dismissed the earlier declarations surrounding the PKK primary election, describing them as unauthorized and lacking legitimacy. She clarified that Barr. Kura was the only official appointed by the committee to oversee and announce the authentic results of the exercise.
Reacting to his victory, Gagdi described the outcome as a triumph of due process and transparency, maintaining that the election was peacefully conducted across all wards in the constituency.
“My election was conducted across the 36 electoral wards, and there is no doubt about that. We have videos, pictures, accreditation records, and evidence of vote counting from all the wards,” Gagdi said.
The federal lawmaker also rejected the earlier results circulated on social media, describing them as fake and unauthorized, while questioning how an individual reportedly assigned to another constituency could declare results for PKK.
“If the electoral committee chairman publicly says the person is unknown to her and was not appointed for PKK, then such an announcement is fake. You cannot announce results for an election you did not conduct,” he added.
Despite the controversy that trailed the exercise, Gagdi said he and his supporters remained peaceful throughout the process and called on party members and other aspirants to unite in the interest of the APC and the development of Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam Federal Constituency.
Nine people have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus at Dungus, Kuru District, Jos South council area.
The police command in Plateau confirmed the attack in a statement by its spokesman, Alfred Alabo, on Monday.
The command said it received a distress report at about 7:45 p.m. on Sunday that terrorists operating on a motorcycle had attacked the bus.
According to the statement, the Toyota bus, with registration number BUU 621 ZL, was conveying passengers to Jos when the gunmen opened fire.
It said seven people were confirmed dead at the scene, while two others who sustained gunshot injuries later died in hospital. The police said the development brought the total number of fatalities from the attack to nine.
The police commissioner, Ayodeji Faniyan, immediately mobilised Mobile Police operatives, tactical teams, homicide detectives and forensic experts to the scene.
(NAN)
News
“Foreign Players Aren’t the Solution” — Mahbubat Salaudeen Challenges Olanrewaju’s Take After Rivers United’s CAF Exit
Writer and poet Mahbubat Salaudeen has challenged Rivers United assistant coach Yemi Olanrewaju’s argument that Nigerian football needs more foreign players to compete effectively at the continental and international levels.
Olanrewaju, speaking after Rivers United’s CAF Champions League elimination by FC San Pedro, had argued that foreign players are essential to the development of a competitive league.
“No league will survive without foreigners. The English Premier League didn’t do well until the Cantonás and the Thierry Henrys started coming in.”
However, Salaudeen believes bringing in foreign players is not the immediate solution to the challenges facing Nigerian football.
Sports247 reports, according to the writer, while foreign recruitment could potentially benefit the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) in the long term, the priority should currently be on exposing domestic clubs and players to a higher level of competition.
“Bringing in foreign players isn’t the solution Nigerian football needs. It may work, but that will be in the long term when the clubs have the money or are willing to spend,” Salaudeen argued.
She instead called for NPFL clubs to regularly play tougher opponents in international friendly matches, stressing that such exposure would help Nigerian players and teams become better prepared for continental competition.
Salaudeen pointed to the recent experience of Nigeria’s women’s U20 national team as an example of the importance of competing against technically superior opposition.
“The Nigeria women U20 national team faced academies/players they were technically better than and somehow we’re disappointed they lost two of their games in the group stage?” she questioned.
For Salaudeen, the problem goes beyond results. She believes Nigerian teams need to consistently test themselves against opponents who operate at a higher technical and tactical level before entering major international competitions.
“They will lose to England too because those girls are not technically prepared for the level of competition needed to excel against such opponents,” she added.
Her comments have reignited the debate over the best pathway for improving Nigerian football, with questions surrounding player development, competitive exposure, club investment and the role of foreign players in the NPFL.
While Olanrewaju sees quality foreign imports as part of the evolution of successful leagues, Salaudeen’s argument places greater emphasis on improving the competitive environment around Nigerian clubs and ensuring domestic players are regularly exposed to stronger opposition.
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