APC candidate Pland clinches Plateau Central Senatorial seat

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Pland as the winner after a supplementary election on Saturday, April 15, 2023.

The INEC Returning Officer, Dr Jima Lar, who announced the result at the headquarters of the Plateau Central Senatorial zone, said the APC flag-bearer polled a total of 131,129 votes to edge his main challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s Yohanna Gotom, into second place with 127,022 votes.

Labour Party's Garba Pwul finished a distant third with 36,510 votes.

“Hon Diket Plang having scored the highest votes at the election and having satisfied the requirements of the law has been declared the winner of the Plateau State Central Senatorial zone and returned elected,” Lar announced.

The keenly-contested election dates back to February 25, 2023, when all the candidates squared off but a clear winner could not emerge following the cancellation of votes in some polling units due to over-voting.

Pulse reports that Pland's victory is the second recorded so far by the ruling party in this Saturday's supplementary election. Earlier on, Ibrahim Bomai was declared the winner of the Yobe South Senatorial district poll.

Bomai and Pland's emergence has bumped up APC numbers in the 10th Senate to 59 having previously won 57 seats back in February.

The figure could potentially increase after the conclusion of today's exercise as results continue to trickle in from other states where elections are being conducted.