News

Plateau Central polls: PDP candidate Gotom urges INEC to declare correct result

Published

3 years ago

March 10, 2023

vicky

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Plateau Central Senatorial Zone, Golkuna Gotom has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and Plateau State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Oliver Agundu to prevail on the Returning Officer of Plateau Central Senatorial zone to declare the correct results.

He also alleged that there were mutilation of the aforementioned results, wrong computing, and allocation of votes to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He also decried the none usage of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) in some electoral wards in Kanam Local Government Area during the February 25th, 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, calling for outright cancellation of results from the respective polling units in line with the 2022 Electoral Act.

DAILY POST recalls that the National Assembly elections were held on the 25th of March 2023 alongside the presidential polls, but the result for the senatorial elections are yet to be declared as of the time of filing this report.

Gotom made the call while briefing journalists in Jos, the state capital.

According to him: “With the result available, I won the senatorial election for Plateau Central with a very wide margin. I had expected a declaration of results within days after the polls, but it has lingered for 12 days now. I want to tell the good people of Plateau Central to wake up for justice, equity and fairness; because injustice to one is an injustice to the entire zone.

“The citizenry voted for good governance, unfortunately, what we are witnessing is a total denial of the people’s mandate. I’m calling on the electoral umpire to do the needful because, at the collation centre in Pankshin LGA, three basic issues were raised.

“Unfortunately, these issues are still left unattended to; I expect the electoral umpire (INEC) to stand up to its responsibility and do a formal declaration of results so that I will have my certificate of return.”

The PDP candidate further stated that even the sitting governor of the state lost his senatorial bid to PDP, and the results were declared.

“So far, the PDP has won the two other senatorial seats in the state. This shows that Plateau is a PDP state. I won the Plateau Central with a very wide margin,” he maintained.

He further said: “If you have been following the political trend in this state since 1999, results from Kanam LGA, which is the contentious area, are deliberately delayed to enable them adjust the figures to their advantage; but this practice must be put to a stop and the time is now.”

He explained that the Electoral Act in Section 64 subsection 7 stipulates that if the disputed results were collated and discovered to be of mass errors, such results should be corrected to produce a new result and that falls under the power of the Electoral Officer.

“Sadly, in our own case, we have petitioned the Returning Officer and he has not called us to look into the discrepancies with those figures.

“We are not living in a lawless country, therefore, we are calling for the cancellation of all the results in the disputed polling units.”

DAILY POST reports that the disputed areas with issues of computation errors, mutilation of results, and overvoting are Kukyen, Gagdi, Dengi, Jarmai, Kanam, Kantana and Garga among others.

Up Next

How I killed my wife with axe, cut off daughter’s hand –Plateau bricklayer

Don't Miss

Pensioners are Treated Badly by Plateau – Ex NUP Chair

Click to comment

Events

Plateau Records 87% Drop in Malaria Prevalence as Stakeholders Rally Support for 2026 SMC Campaign

Published

2 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Preport

The Plateau State Malaria Elimination Programme has attributed the significant progress recorded in the fight against malaria to sustained government commitment, strategic partnerships and the dedication of health workers and community volunteers across the state.
The Project Manager of the Plateau State Malaria Elimination Programme, Nurse Ndak Andarawus, made this known on Tuesday during the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) Media Parley held at the Crispan Event Centre in Jos.

FB IMG FB IMG FB IMG

The media engagement brought together health professionals, development partners, journalists and other stakeholders to strengthen public awareness and mobilise support ahead of the 2026 SMC implementation cycle.
According to Andarawus, the remarkable decline in malaria cases in Plateau State is the result of increased political commitment, improved implementation of malaria interventions, sustained government support and the contributions of development partners, particularly the Malaria Consortium.
She disclosed that malaria prevalence in the state has dropped dramatically from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 2.8 per cent in 2025, representing an 87 per cent reduction.
“The prevalence rate has dropped from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 2.8 per cent in 2025, representing about an 87 per cent reduction. It shows that malaria elimination is possible, and with sustained support for the SMC programme, we can achieve zero malaria,” she said.
Speaking at the event, the Project Manager of Malaria Consortium, Dr. Mbwas Mashor, explained that the media parley was organised to improve public awareness, promote accurate information and encourage caregivers to ensure that eligible children receive the preventive medicines during the campaign.
He noted that Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a World Health Organisation (WHO)-recommended intervention designed to protect children aged three to 59 months against malaria during periods of high transmission.
Dr. Mashor stressed that the success of the programme depends largely on effective community mobilisation and accurate dissemination of information, making the media a critical partner in achieving the campaign’s objectives.
Representatives of the Plateau State Ministry of Health, Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) also commended the achievements recorded in malaria control across the state.
The stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention campaign and urged journalists to play an active role in combating misinformation, promoting community acceptance and ensuring that caregivers across Plateau State are fully informed about the exercise and its benefits.
They expressed optimism that sustained collaboration among government, development partners, healthcare providers, the media and communities would further accelerate Plateau State’s journey toward eliminating malaria.

News

‘No police officer can demand access to phones without court warrant’ – Plateau CP

Published

3 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Preport

The Plateau State Police Command has warned its personnel that no officer has the legal authority to stop any citizen on the road and demand access to the contents of their mobile phone without a court warrant.

The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Bassey Ewah, gave the warning in a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Alabo Alfred.

The statement read, “In line with his unwavering stance against misconduct and unprofessional behaviour by Police personnel, the Commissioner of Police Plateau State Command, CP Bassey Ewah, wishes to reiterate unequivocally, that no officer or personnel of the Plateau State Police Command has the legal authority to stop any citizen and demand access to or search the contents of their mobile phone on the road without a court warrant.”

He urged residents to politely resist such unlawful demands and report any officer found engaging in the practice through the command’s complaint channels.

The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to lawful policing and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights.

According to him, the Plateau State Police Command remained committed to protecting the lives, property and rights of all Plateau citizens, adding, “We assure the good people of the State of our continued commitment to ensuring effective policing in line with the law and global best practices.