Elections not conducted- Aspirant faults APC Reps primary result in Plateau

By Henry Nnam

Retired AVM Paul Masiyer, an aspirant for Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that elections were not conducted in wards across the constituency, as stipulated by the 2026 Electoral Act, the APC Constitution and Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates in the primary for the constituency held last weekend.

Masiyer said this while rejecting the result of the primaries for the constituency.

Mr Sheldas Samuel, the Returning Officer for the primaries in the constituency, had declared the incumbent, Rep. Ishaya Lalu as winner.

Samuel disclosed that Lalu scored 33, 290 votes to defeat Masiyer, his closest opponent, who polled 2,115 votes.

However, Mr Danjuma Namang, on behalf of Masiyer’s Campaign Organisations, rejected the result in a statement on Monday in Jos.

“After a careful review of the exercise, we wish to categorically reject the purported declaration of Ishaya Lalu as the winner of the APC primary election for Mangu/Bokkos federal constituency.

“Our position is based on the undeniable fact that direct primaries were not conducted in wards across the constituency as required by the Electoral Act 2026, the APC Constitution and Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates.

“Across all the wards in Mangu and Bokkos Local Government Areas, party members, our supporters and agents, assembled peacefully and waited for electoral officials and voting materials that never arrived.

“These loyal party members remained at the designated centres until late into the night before eventually dispersing in disappointment after no election was conducted.

“It is therefore shocking, unacceptable, and contrary to every principle of democracy and internal party justice for results to emerge from wards where no voting exercise took place,”he said.

Namang said that the purported outcome does not reflect the wishes, aspirations and democratic choices of APC members in the constituency.

“What happened was a complete subversion of the democratic process and a grave assault on the integrity of our great party.

“We wish to assure all our supporters that appropriate steps have already been taken through the party’s internal appeal mechanisms to challenge this injustice and defend the sanctity of the votes and rights of party members,” he said.

Namang, who said that Masiyer’s supporters would remain peaceful, insisted that democracy cannot thrive where imposition, and manipulation take the centre stage over transparent and credible processes.

(NAN)