By Our Correspondent
The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries held in Mikang Local Government Area of Plateau State to elect the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections have been declared inconclusive following allegations of irregularities and failure to conduct voting in several wards.
Barrister Naanniep S. Pingwai, the Plateau State APC Legal Adviser and an indigene of Lalin Ward, said the exercise could not hold in many wards, including Tunkus, Koenem, Garkawa and other areas within the local government.
Speaking after monitoring the process, Pingwai alleged that electoral officers were absent in several locations, while election materials were allegedly taken away by some officials, including the state Commissioner for Women Affairs.
According to him, he remained at the Lalin Ward voting venue from 10 a.m. until nearly 6 p.m., but the electoral officer failed to commence the exercise.
“It was glaringly shown that one of the aspirants was to be defeated,” Pingwai alleged, adding that he received reports and evidence from more than five wards where no election was conducted.
He claimed that only Piapung Ward recorded any form of voting across the entire local government area.
Pingwai insisted that the party leadership must order a fresh exercise in all affected wards to allow delegates freely participate in the process.
“Some people just sat somewhere, wrote results and took them wherever they wanted,” he alleged.
Another party stakeholder, Boayi, called on the APC leadership and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to intervene by constituting a neutral committee to supervise a fresh and credible process.
He warned that imposing candidates not chosen by delegates could negatively affect the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.
“Let the people be allowed to make their choice. It shouldn’t be the choice of a few persons,” he appealed.
Boayi further urged party officials to either organize a fresh election or conclude the process in wards where voting did not take place, including Garkawa and Tunkus.
Meanwhile, journalists who monitored the exercise across some wards reported that no electoral materials were seen at the designated voting centres.
Unconfirmed reports also alleged that the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Caroline Dafur, alongside some stakeholders, allegedly moved election materials and officials assigned to conduct the primaries to an undisclosed location.
