By Christiana Gokyo, Jos
An aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election for Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Hon. John Tongshinen Gozhak, has demanded an immediate review of issues arising from the conduct of the party’s primary election.
Gozhak made the demand on Tuesday while speaking to journalists shortly after submitting a petition at the APC Secretariat, Kalwa House, Jos.
He said the call became necessary following what he described as disturbing developments surrounding the collation and declaration of results from the primary election.
“We write as loyal and committed members of the APC, stakeholders from Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, and believers in the ideals of justice, fairness and internal democracy upon which our great party was founded,” he stated.
According to him, one of the major concerns raised in the petition was the role of collation officers appointed by the Plateau State APC Secretariat before the election.
He explained that the party had officially communicated the identities of the officers designated to supervise and collate results from the exercise, a directive which all aspirants and stakeholders accepted in good faith.
“There was no indication whatsoever that the authority of those officers would later be questioned or that alternative officers would emerge to perform the same function,” he said.
Gozhak maintained that the election was conducted and results from the various voting centres were collated by the duly appointed officers in line with the mandate given to them by the party.
“To the best of our knowledge, these officers carried out their responsibilities professionally and without any prior objection to their appointment.
“Party members participated in the election with the understanding that these were the duly recognised officers authorised by the party to collate and process the results,” he added.
The petition called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged rejection or displacement of the officially appointed collation officers after they had completed their assignment.
It also sought clarification on the legal and procedural basis upon which alternative officers reportedly emerged, as well as the protection of the authority of duly constituted party structures in Plateau State.
The aspirant further urged the party leadership to take immediate steps to ensure that the genuine votes cast by APC members were protected and that the authentic outcome of the election was not compromised.
“We believe that justice delayed in matters such as this carries consequences far beyond the present election.
“The strength of any political party lies not merely in its ability to win elections but in its commitment to fairness, transparency and respect for its own rules,” he said.
Gozhak and his supporters called on the APC leadership in Plateau State to uphold justice, defend the integrity of the party’s institutions and ensure that the wishes freely expressed by members were respected.
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and commitment to the unity, growth and electoral success of the party.
“As loyal members of the APC, we reject any process that diminishes the value of votes cast by our members or undermines confidence in the structures established by the party,” the petition stated.
The group emphasized that its peaceful protest and presentation of the petition should be seen as an appeal for justice within the party rather than an act of hostility.
“We remain convinced that the APC is strong enough to confront legitimate grievances, correct procedural irregularities and uphold the principles upon which it was founded,” the petition added.
