The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Plateau State has concluded with Governor Caleb Mutfwang declared the winner, securing the party’s ticket for the upcoming general election. Mutfwang achieved a landslide victory, polling 233,335 votes, significantly surpassing his closest rival, retired Naval Commander Yilchini Jan Bida, who recorded 3,070 votes. A total of 236,405 votes were cast across various local government areas during the exercise.

Fedelis Mnyim, the Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Election Committee in Plateau State, announced the results. He affirmed that the primary election, held on May 21, 2026, was duly conducted and that the process adhered strictly to the party’s guidelines. Mnyim commended party members for their orderly conduct, stating that Mutfwang had satisfied the requirements of the APC Constitution and guidelines, thereby declaring him the winner and the APC governorship candidate for Plateau State. Observers reported that the election, monitored by party officials and security agencies, was largely peaceful and orderly.

However, Naval Commander Yilchini Jan Bida (rtd.), an aspirant in the primary, has vehemently rejected the outcome, describing both the process and the declared results as “flawed” and lacking credibility. In a statement issued in Jos, Bida expressed strong objection to Mutfwang’s declaration as the winner, asserting that extensive consultations with his campaign organization, legal team, agents, and key stakeholders across the 17 Local Government Areas of the State led to this unequivocal rejection.

Bida alleged that the entire exercise was “an orchestrated sham,” characterized by widespread violations of electoral procedures. He claimed there was a subversion of official processes, secret distribution of voting materials, widespread non-event across the state, denial of franchise, pre-fabricated results, and exclusion from declaration, all in flagrant violation of electoral guidelines.

Furthermore, Bida, who identified himself as a trained forensic accountant, questioned the integrity of the figures released. He insisted that the announced outcomes displayed patterns that were “excessively uniform, repetitive, and mathematically too perfect to reflect human behavior,” suggesting manipulation. He argued that these figures did not reflect natural voting behavior, behaving instead “like a single mathematical formula replicated across multiple locations.”

Citing global analytical standards, Bida referenced statistical principles, including Benford’s Law, to support his claims of probable manipulation. He noted that naturally occurring datasets from broad human participation typically display irregular but authentic numerical patterns, and artificially balanced and synchronized figures indicate a high probability of manipulation and doctoring, demanding independent forensic scrutiny.

Bida maintained that his position was not driven by personal frustration but by a profound commitment to the rule of law, internal party democracy, and the rights of APC members in Plateau State. He warned against undermining the credibility of the APC and urged the National Working Committee (NWC) and State leadership of the party to intervene immediately and investigate the widespread irregularities. He also called on his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that he would pursue all lawful, constitutional, and democratic avenues to ensure justice is served and that the true voice of the Plateau people prevails.