Four women and 12 others are set to battle the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Kwara Central senatorial seat in the forthcoming general elections.
In Kwara north, incumbent member of the House of Representatives (Baruten/Kaima) and former governorship aspirant of the PDP, Zakari Mohammed will fly the party’s flag in the district while governor Abdul-Fattah Ahmed has been cleared to contest in Kwara south under the PDP.
According to information on senatorial candidates released on Friday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at its Ilorin West local government office located at Ipata Oloje area of the metropolis, 17 political parties are participating in the election in Kwara central.
The list of candidates was displayed at the headquarters of each senatorial district, according to INEC officials.
Saraki was a presidential aspirant of the PDP but lost to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. He came back home to pick the senatorial ticket of his party after the presidential primary on an agreement arranged by the party’s national leadership that allowed all presidential aspirants opportunity to go back to their pre-primary seats.
The four women, who indicated they are traders in the documents submitted to the electoral umpire, are Abubakar Khadijat Akanni from MPN, Okanlawaon Adekunle Taiwo of GPN and AbdulWaheed Mariam Titilayo from ADP and AbdulSalam Kuburat (LP).
Other candidates for the contest are former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly under the APP, Dr Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC), Abdurahman Garuba (AP), Ambali Mujaheed (ACPN), Babatunde Sambo (SDP), Abdulraheem Abubakar (ADC) and Mohammed Saidu of Peoples Trust (PT).
In Kwara north, according to PDP officials, Zakari will face Alhaji Sodiq Umar of the APC, while governor Ahmed will face Architect Lola Ashiru in Kwara south. Ahmed, who will be completing his second term as governor, is replacing the chairman Senate Committee on Banking and Other Financial Institution, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim.
