From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has listed Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the incumbent senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, among candidates cleared to contest the 2027 Kwara Central Senatorial District election.
The development has effectively ended weeks of speculation surrounding Mustapha’s candidacy, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator, now set to face AbdulRazaq, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in what is expected to be one of the closely watched senatorial contests in Kwara State.
INEC’s list also contains candidates of other political parties, including Adesola Kehinde of the African Action Alliance (AA), Gani Omolabi of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Gbadesogun Adeleke of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Abdullahi Motunrayo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Anjorin Temitayo of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Abdulkarim-Adisa Ayoola-Fadekemi of the Labour Party (LP), Adefolu Adekunle of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Lawal Abdulhakeem Toyin of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Suleiman Omoda of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The listing of Mustapha comes after weeks of political manoeuvring and speculation by supporters and associates of the governor, some of whom had expressed confidence that the senator’s candidature would not make the final list.
Related News
Reacting to the development, social commentator Dr Abdulmajeed Ali, said the emergence of Mustapha on the ballot would provide voters in Kwara Central with the opportunity to determine their preferred representative through the electoral process.
“There is nothing the ruling party dreads more than having Saliu Mustapha on the ballot,” Ali said.
He alleged that attempts to cast doubt on Mustapha’s candidacy were driven by concerns within the ruling party over the prospect of a direct contest between the senator and the governor.
“Their greatest fear is Saliu Mustapha on the ballot against AbdulRazaq. They know he poses a serious threat to the governor’s election bid, which is why they will explore every possible means to stop him from contesting,” he said.
Ali, however, urged the political actors to allow the electorate to make the final decision.
“But if they are confident of their popularity, they should allow both men to face the people in a free and fair election and let Kwara Central decide,” he added.
With both AbdulRazaq and Mustapha now listed by INEC, attention is expected to shift towards their campaigns, political structures and ability to mobilise voters across the three local government areas that make up Kwara Central.
