Senator Diket Plang and several senatorial aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have rejected the outcome of the party’s Senate primaries in Plateau State, alleging widespread irregularities, fabricated results and violations of party guidelines.
The aggrieved aspirants, led by Plang, submitted a petition to the APC appeal committee at the party secretariat in Jos, calling for the nullification of the primaries and fresh elections across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Among those present at the briefing were Chris Dua, an aspirant for Plateau North; Ephraim Gar and Barrister Mrs. Beatrice Dakas, aspirants for Plateau Central; and former House of Representatives member, Komsol Longgap, an aspirant for Plateau South.
Plang, who represents Plateau Central in the 10th Senate, described the exercise as the worst primary election he had witnessed in his political career despite previously serving as councillor, local government chairman, member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, commissioner and adviser to two governors.
According to him, no proper election was conducted in several areas, while results were allegedly announced without due process.
“Basically, we are here because in the National Assembly elections, particularly the Senate primaries, no proper election was conducted in our senatorial districts. In places where elections were attempted, they were withdrawn and never continued,” he said.
He added, “While announcements were still ongoing, results were already being declared elsewhere.”
The senator further alleged that figures were arbitrarily allocated to aspirants without actual voting, insisting that the process failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act and APC guidelines for direct primaries.
“This APC primary election on the Plateau is the worst we have ever seen. Worst is worst,” Plang declared.
“People waited from morning till nighttime despite the insecurity situation, only to wake up the next day and hear that votes had simply been allocated. It is blackmail.”
Plang specifically questioned the credibility of the results announced for Plateau Central Senatorial District, where he said he was allocated only 1,423 votes despite having thousands of registered APC members in his ward.
“I am a sitting senator representing five local governments. Even my federal ward alone has over 2,000 registered party members. Yet somebody sat down and allocated only 1,423 votes to me as an incumbent senator,” he said.
“It is total blackmail. It is very offensive. It is unacceptable, and it cannot be tolerated.”
The lawmaker stressed that the aggrieved aspirants remained loyal to the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but warned against individuals allegedly manipulating the process in the president’s name.
“We believe in President Tinubu. We know our president is inclusive and means well for us. But we also know there are people lying in the name of the president,” he stated.
“Anybody parading himself as ‘the president’s candidate’ is engaging in blackmail.”
Plang also absolved Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang of direct involvement, saying the governor might not have been fully informed about events surrounding the primaries.
“We are not at war with the governor because most times when we call him, he may not always have all the information, but he remains available to speak with us,” he said.
He, however, accused unnamed party officials and electoral officers of undermining the APC through alleged manipulation of ad hoc staff appointments, result sheets and accreditation processes.
“We are at war with whoever will appoint ad hoc staff for an election in the evening and then replace them the next day,” he added.
“That is not acceptable. We are at war with people who appoint returning officers and give one photocopied document while giving another original copies. We are at war with those trying to destabilize the APC on the Plateau.”
The senator warned that failure by the party leadership to address the grievances could affect the APC’s chances in Plateau State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“If the APC truly desires victory in 2027, if the APC wants Plateau to remain APC, then this petition must not be ignored,” he said.
“We remain loyal to the party, but we will resist whatever has been done. It should be nullified, and proper electoral guidelines must be followed.”
