Abdullahi emerges PDP gubernatorial flagbearer in Kwara

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Kwara

A frontline politician in Kwara State who recently left the All Progressives Party (APC), Shuaib Yahman Abdullahi, has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Abdullahi won the primary election conducted by the party for its governorship aspirants on Wednesday.

Three aspirants, a 3-time member of the House of Representatives representing Pategi/Lafiagi/Moro federal constituency, Ahman Pategi, and immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to Japan who had also served as a Deputy Speaker and commissioner in the state, Prof. Yisa Gana contested the primaries.

Abdullahi, according to the result announced by the chairman of the electoral committee and the returning officer, Niyi Owolade, polled 518 out of the total 574 votes cast.

Owolade who declared Abdullahi returned said Ahman Pategi recorded 31 votes while Gana polled 14.

He said 574 out of 591 delegates were accredited while 11 votes were voided 

The PDP had zoned the governorship ticket to the North Senatorial District of the state from where all the contestants hail from.

Abdullahi who lost the governorship ticket of the APC to Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in 2019, left the party about six weeks ago to pick the form to contest the governorship primaries of the PDP.

He had before this time alongside some other aspirants sought the governorship ticket of the PDP in 2003, which was won by Bukola Saraki.

The politician was the Kwara North Senatorial candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in 2011 when the Minister of State for Transport, Senator Gbemisola Saraki was the party’s governorship candidate.