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, potentially settling the prolonged dispute over the party’s ticket.

Ropshik’s name is contained in an INEC document listing candidates for the Plateau State governorship election, with the document bearing the commission’s official receiving particulars.

The development comes after weeks of competing claims by rival tendencies within the Plateau PDP over who emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 poll.

The publication by the electoral commission is expected to provide an official reference point on the candidate currently reflected in INEC’s electoral records ahead of the election.

Reacting to the development, Ropshik said the publication had vindicated his position that the electoral process would ultimately determine the rightful candidate.

He urged his supporters to remain focused, saying the controversy over factions should no longer distract the party from its preparations for 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.

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

The campaign described the document as fake and misleading, urging members of the public, party supporters and other stakeholders to disregard documents whose authenticity could not be independently established through INEC’s official records.

According to the campaign, the publication containing Ropshik’s name provides the basis for its position that he is the candidate currently reflected in the commission’s records.

It also called on other aspirants and their supporters to respect the electoral process and avoid actions capable of deepening divisions within the party.

The campaign urged PDP supporters not to be distracted by what it described as attempts to revive a dispute that the electoral process had effectively moved beyond.

With the 2027 election approaching, Ropshik said his campaign would now focus on engaging voters across Plateau State and presenting a political programme that addresses their concerns and aspirations.

“We have always maintained that the process would speak for itself.

“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,” he said.