Gyang Pwajok

Gyang Nyam Shom Pwajok (March 15, 1966 – October 28, 2015) was a Nigerian politician and a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Pwajok was the youngest national Senator during the upper chamber's 7th Assembly, which was in session from 2011 to 2015.[1] He was the 2015 PDP candidate for Governor of Plateau State, but narrowly lost the Plateau gubernatorial election to Simon Lalong of the All Progressives Congress on April 11, 2015.[1][2]

Pwajok was born on March 15, 1966.[1] He was an academic and lecturer at the Plateau State Polytechnic and the University of Jos before entering politics.[1] He served as the Director of Research and planning during the administration of former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang from 2007 to 2012.[1]

In 2012, Senator Gyang Dantong died while attending a mass funeral for victims of an unrest in Barkin-ladi.[2] Gyang Pwajok won the 2012 Senatorial election to succeed Dantong in the Plateau North Senatorial zone.[1] He was the youngest member of the Nigerian Senate, the upper house of the National Assembly, during the 7th Assembly, which met from 2012 to 2015.[2]

Pwajok became the 2015 PDP nominee for Governor of Plateau State, defeating 15 other candidates in the PDP gubernatorial primary election.[1] He narrowly lost the Plateau gubernatorial election to Simon Lalong of the All Progressives Congress on April 11, 2015.[1][2]

Pwajok became ill on May 29, 2015, and left the country to seek medical treatment.[1] He died from hepatocellular carcinoma, a form of liver cancer, at a hospital in India on October 28, 2015, at the age of 48.[1][2] He was survived by his wife, Bridget Gyang Pwajok.[1] His funeral was held at the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Du Jos South on November 13, 2015.[1]