Plateau PDP crisis: INEC lists Kefas Wungak Ropshik As Guber Candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has listed Chief Kefas Wungak Ropshik as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Plateau State in the 2027 election.

The development is contained in an INEC document listing candidates for the Plateau State governorship election, with Ropshik appearing under the platform of the PDP.

The publication comes amid weeks of competing claims over the PDP governorship ticket in the state, with rival tendencies laying claim to the party’s candidature.

The latest INEC record has, however, provided an official electoral reference for the candidate currently listed by the commission ahead of the 2027 poll.

Reacting to the development, Ropshik said the publication had vindicated his position that the electoral process should be allowed to take its course.

He said attempts to frame the dispute around factional claims were unnecessary, urging his supporters to remain focused on the 2027 election.

“Any talk about factions is a distraction, and that distraction has now been put to rest by the recent publication by INEC.
“We have always believed that the electoral process would speak for itself.

Now that INEC has published its candidate information, our focus is firmly on the people of Plateau State and the task of winning the 2027 election,” he said.

The development followed an earlier appeal by Ropshik to his supporters to remain calm amid the controversy over the party’s ticket.

His position at the time was captured in the question, “Why argue about factions when you can wait?”

The campaign has also dismissed a document circulating on social media and purportedly bearing the name of Garba Biggs as the PDP governorship candidate.

In a statement, the campaign described the document as “fake and misleading”, urging party members, supporters and members of the public to disregard documents that cannot be independently verified through INEC’s official records.

The campaign maintained that the document published by INEC, which lists Ropshik as the PDP candidate, forms the basis of its position on the governorship ticket.

It further appealed to other aspirants and their supporters to respect the electoral process and refrain from actions that could deepen divisions within the party.

According to the campaign, PDP members should concentrate on strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 election rather than allowing internal disagreements to distract from the issues confronting the people of Plateau State.

Ropshik also said his attention was now shifting to the wider electorate, with a commitment to engage communities across the state and present a political programme focused on the needs and aspirations of the people.

“We have always maintained that the process would speak for itself,” he said.

“Now that INEC has published its information, there is no reason for us to remain trapped in arguments about factions. Our attention is on the people of Plateau State, the issues that matter to them and the collective effort required to win the election.”

The latest development is expected to intensify political realignments within the Plateau State PDP as the party and its various tendencies prepare for the 2027 governorship election.