Committee chairperson Stella Okotete told journalists in Jos on Monday that only the officially appointed returning officer has the authority to announce outcomes of party primaries. She said any declaration made outside that structure cannot stand.
Following her clarification, Nandom Andrew Kura, the recognised returning officer, formally declared Yusuf Gagdi as the winner of the contest held on Saturday.
Okotete maintained that earlier figures circulated from the exercise did not reflect the official position of the committee and should be disregarded.
After the announcement, Gagdi said the primary was conducted across all 36 wards in the constituency. He added that accreditation materials, video recordings and photographs supported the conduct of the exercise.
He also addressed reports of conflicting results, saying he was aware of only two announcements, one of which has now been confirmed as not valid.
Gagdi rejected claims linked to an earlier declaration credited to Daspan Ishaya, stating that the individual was not appointed by the electoral committee and had no mandate to announce results.
He argued that party guidelines place responsibility for appointing election officials solely on the electoral committee, adding that any result declared outside that framework has no standing.
There were mixed reactions in parts of Kanam and Pankshin shortly after the result was announced, with supporters reacting to the latest development.
