David Barji has won the APC primary ticket for Plateau Central Senatorial District. He defeated six other aspirants in Tuesday's election held in Pankshin.
Barji polled 57,727 votes to clinch the nomination. His closest rival, incumbent Senator Diket Plang, managed only 1,423 votes.
Returning Officer Sadak Garga announced the results after collating votes from all five local government areas in the zone. He confirmed that Barji emerged victorious by a landslide margin.
Five other candidates contested alongside the winner and Plang. Among them were James S.
Yusuf, Piwuna John, Ishaya Mashingil, Bitrus James, and Ephraim Usman.
Ephraim Usman came third with 1,322 votes. Piwuna John secured 670 votes in the primary exercise.
Bitrus James polled 652 votes. James S.
Yusuf received the lowest tally with 574 votes.
Garga declared at the event: "David Barje is the winner of the exercise." He made the announcement after completing the collation process across all participating wards.
Plang, the incumbent senator, hails from Pankshin LGA in the district. He's serving his first term in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
His loss means he won't return to the Senate for a second tenure. Political observers had expected a keenly contested primary in the zone.
Barji's victory clears the way for him to fly the APC flag in the 2027 general election. His landslide win suggests strong grassroots support across the senatorial district.
