Thursday, June 18, 2026

The Sun Nigeria

Kwara Central: Abdulrazaq, Senator Mustapha in two-horse race

Abd

…Stakeholders back governor

By Chinelo Obogo

Kwara State Governor and All Progressives Congress senatorial district aspirant AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday received support from leaders, stalwarts and members of the party in the Central senatorial district primaries held across four local government areas of the district.

Governor AbdulRazaq is slugging it out with the serving Senator of the district,  Saliu Mustapha despite earlier reports that he is not in the Senate race.

Addressing members of the party in Ibagun Ward, in Ilorin East Local Government, the Senior Adviser and Counsellor to the Governor,  Saadu Salahu said leaders and party faithful are united to ensure the success of APC at all levels in 2027.

”Here, we are in total support of Governor AbdulRazaq for the senatorial election. I want to assure our leaders President Bola Tinubu and the governor  that Ibagun ward is fully with the APC. We shall deliver 100% in 2027 for the party. We are solidly behind the APC,” he said.

Speaking with journalists on the sideline of the primary election, a stalwart of the party and former member of House of Representatives HAbdulganiyu Olododo said the contest between Governor AbdulRazaq and Senator Mustapha received impressive turnout of party loyalists in appreciation of the achievements of APC led government in the state and in the country.

‎”This is Ibagun Ward under Ilorin East. If you look at the turnout, there is no ward, whether primary, or the real election, in Ilorin East local government that can beat Ibagun Ward. We are always number one. With what happened today, you see that in Ibagun, there’s unity. Both the leaders and followers are one in APC.

”Two, what we are having today is a senatorial primary, where we have our leader, Governor of Kwara State contesting for the senatorial seat in the next coming election with the sitting senator.  The turnout shows that the governor is on ground. Saliu is from the Emirate too. Nobody denied that. But we have our leader and we know who’s our leader, the governor of the state. That is why you see the turnout. The figure shows who holds the ground,” the former SSG said.

‎For his part, a former chairman of Ilorin East Local Government, Usman Bibire-Ajape said AbdulRazaq has done well for the state and he deserves the support he is getting from the party faithful.

‎”This area belongs to the APC. No doubt about that. Everything went on peacefully. His Excellency had the day. We are ready to face candidates from other parties,” he said.

‎A House of Representatives candidate Abdulquawiy Olododo said AbdulRazaq polled an overwhelming number of votes to defeat his lone challenger Senator Saliu Mustapha in his Ibagun ward.

‎”What has happened today is confirmation of the belief in the leadership of Governor AbdulRazaq. Despite the fact that we realised that the governor has an opponent, our people came out en masse in support of him. With what we have seen here in Ibagun Ward, in Ilorin East, in Kwara Central and the entire state, Governor AbdulRazaq is fully on the ground,” Olododo explained.

‎Similarly, at Ubandawaki Ward in Ilorin West Local Government, a chieftain of the party, Mohammed Ghali Alaaya praised members of the party for their loyalty to the leadership of Governor AbdulRazaq.

‎At Badari Ward in Ilorin West Local Government, party stakeholders, including women and youths trooped out en mass to participate in the ongoing APC senatorial primary election between Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Senator Saliu Mustapha for the Kwara central ticket.

‎According to the results in the ward, Governor AbdulRazaq polled all the votes while Mustapha got zero vote.