The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the 2027 National Assembly elections in Kwara State. The list, released on INEC's website, features candidates from 13 political parties contesting the Kwara Central senatorial seat, 11 in Kwara North, and 11 in Kwara South. This development comes amid significant political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Senator Saliu Mustapha are listed as candidates for the Kwara Central senatorial seat and Kolo Baba Jiya for Kwara North. Mustapha, the incumbent senator, recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after losing the APC governorship primary. His defection has been a subject of discussion in the state's political landscape.
Mustapha's decision to leave the APC was based on the party's departure from its core principles of internal democracy and collective participation. He emphasized that his move was not a dump of President Tinubu but rather a deliberate choice to join a coalition of political groups. The PDP was chosen as his platform due to this coalition, which includes the Otoge Progressives, the G15, and the Elder Caucus.
In Kwara North, Baba Jiya is listed as the PDP candidate despite a legal challenge by former Commissioner for Works and Transport, Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu. Iliasu claims he won the PDP senatorial primary and that INEC initially published his name as the party's candidate. He has approached the Federal High Court in Ilorin, challenging the substitution of his name with Baba Jiya's.
The legal challenge centers on whether the PDP could validly replace Iliasu with Baba Jiya, particularly in light of Iliasu's claim that he neither withdrew his candidature nor authorised the substitution. The court has authorised substituted service of court processes on Baba Jiya, but this does not determine the substantive dispute over the PDP's nomination.
The final list for Kwara Central includes AbdulRazaq AbdulRahaman of the APC and Mustapha Saliu of the PDP. Other candidates for the seat come from various political parties, including Accord, Action Alliance, and the African Democratic Congress. In Kwara North, Mahmud Umar Muhammad of the APC and Baba Jiya of the PDP are among the candidates listed.
The publication of the final list by INEC confirms the candidates that will contest the 2027 National Assembly elections in Kwara State. Key points include:
Key points
- Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Senator Saliu Mustapha are major candidates for the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
- Controversies surround the emergence of PDP candidates, including Mustapha's defection and a legal challenge against Baba Jiya in Kwara North.
- A total of 13 political parties are contesting the Kwara Central senatorial seat, with 11 parties in both Kwara North and Kwara South.
