The list, published in September, also names Kolo Baba Jiya as the PDP candidate for Kwara North, where the party’s nomination has become the subject of a legal dispute. The development comes as political parties and aspirants position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Kwara Central, AbdulRazaq’s appearance on the list signals his move towards a Senate bid as his tenure as governor approaches its end. Mustapha, who currently represents the district in the Senate, is seeking to retain the seat under the PDP platform.
Mustapha’s switch to the opposition party followed his unsuccessful attempt to secure the APC governorship ticket, which went to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu. Mustapha also failed to secure the APC senatorial ticket before emerging as the PDP candidate through a substitution process.
Explaining his departure from the APC, Mustapha criticised the party’s leadership in Kwara, alleging that its internal processes had moved away from the principles of collective participation and internal democracy.
He has maintained, however, that his decision to leave the APC does not amount to abandoning President Bola Tinubu. Mustapha described the move as part of a broader political coalition involving groups such as the Otoge Progressives, G15 and the Elder Caucus.
His allegations about the APC primary reflect his personal account of the process and have not been established as findings by a court. INEC’s listing of his name identifies him as the PDP candidate but does not validate or reject his claims about the party’s internal affairs.
The Kwara North contest presents a separate challenge for the PDP. Baba Jiya appears on INEC’s list despite a suit filed by former state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu, who claims he won the party’s senatorial primary conducted on May 20, 2026.
Iliasu has argued that INEC initially published his name as the PDP candidate before it was replaced by Baba Jiya. He is challenging the substitution and maintains that he neither withdrew from the race nor authorised the change.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Ilorin under suit number FHC/IL/CS/136/2026, names INEC, the PDP and Baba Jiya as respondents. Iliasu is asking the court to declare the substitution invalid, recognise him as the party’s properly nominated candidate and prevent INEC from recognising Baba Jiya.
A subsequent report indicated that the court authorised substituted service of court documents on Baba Jiya. That order concerns the method of serving the legal papers and does not determine the central question of whether the PDP’s substitution was lawful.
Until the court rules on the substantive issues, the allegations surrounding the nomination remain contested. The presence of Baba Jiya’s name on the published list does not, by itself, settle the legal challenge.
In Kwara South, INEC’s list identifies Adewoye Olalekan as the APC candidate and Popoola Saheed as the PDP candidate. Other parties are also represented in the three senatorial contests, giving voters a range of options beyond the two largest parties.
The Kwara Central race is particularly notable because it brings the sitting governor and the incumbent senator onto opposing party platforms. The Kwara North dispute, meanwhile, could have implications for the PDP’s campaign depending on the eventual outcome of the court case.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the published list provides an important reference point for the candidates currently recognised by INEC. However, legal challenges and developments within political parties may continue to shape the contests before voters go to the polls.
Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia
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