Yakubu Busari
Hon.Joseph Abe Aku has been declared as the winner of the All Progressives Congress, APC, rerun primary election for the Jos North /Bassa bye-election slated by INEC for 26th February 2022.
Hon. Sylvanus Namang, APC State Publicity Secretary APC Plateau State chapter, Ewarewah house, Yakubu Gowon way, Jos made this in a press statement.
The rerun election was conducted at the Prestige Event Centre Jebu Bassa in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Declaring the result of the election which was between Hon. Joseph Abe Aku, the immediate former Commissioner of Commerce in Plateau state and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, a two- term former Member of the Federal House of Representatives, Chairman of the seven- man electoral Committee, Rt. Hon. Habu Ajiya announced that Joseph Aku scored a total of 809 votes to beat Suleiman Yahaya Kwande who scored 74 votes.
He stated that a total of 888 delegates were accredited for the election which all of them voted with 5 invalid votes recorded.
The electoral Committee Chairman explained that the rerun election was necessitated by the tie recorded by the two aspirants who scored 344 votes each in the first round of the primary election held at Lamonde Hotel, Jos on 1st and 2nd February respectively.
He said by virtue of this development, the Committee was constrained to announce a winner and had to refer the matter to the national secretariat of the party which the National Caretaker Committee Chairman had to inform INEC, hence today’s rerun exercise.
Hon. Habu Ajiya thanked delegates for their patience and perseverance to participate in the first and second rounds of the exercise.
He was, however, happy that the contest which started with eight aspirants had finally produced a winner.
He said that though a winner has been declared, the job had just began.
He urged the winner of the primary election to reach out to all other aspirants who contested with him in the spirit of sportsmanship.
He equally enjoined the losers, in the same spirit, to join hands with the winner to ensure that the All Progressives Congress retains the seat during bye -election.
Hon. Ajiya stated that the committee had put in its best by providing a level playing ground for all the aspirants and noted that posterity would vindicate it.
He thanked the Plateau State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress for giving the committee members maximum cooperation to succeed in the tedious exercise.
He equally appreciated INEC and the press for their patience and understanding and commended security agents for the efforts put in place to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the primary election.
Other members of the committee are Hon.Aminu Yahya Sabo, Secretary, Hon. Rifkatu Sambo Bana, Alhaji Abubakar Bako, Hon.Jennifer Tyosugh, Hon Tahir Sani and Mal. Sadiq Jafar.
