APC clears Yahaya Bello, others to run for senatorial ticket

Yahaya Bello, former Governor, Kogi State

APC Clears Yahaya Bello, Others for Senatorial Ticket

·      APC Clears Yahaya Bello for Kogi Central Senatorial Ticket

·      Consensus Candidate Emerges in Kogi West

·      Seven Aspirants Cleared for Kogi East

·      PDP Concludes House of Representatives Primaries in Kogi

·      Abdulrahman Badamasuiy Expresses Gratitude After Affirmation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially cleared former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, alongside several other aspirants, to contest in the upcoming senatorial primaries scheduled for Monday in Kogi State.

This decision was made by the party’s National Assembly screening committee, which approved a total of 17 aspirants across the state’s three senatorial districts.

Yahaya Bello’s eligibility had been the subject of speculation in recent days, but his name appeared as number 13 on the cleared list for the Kogi Central Senatorial District. He will face competition from Momoh Yusuf Obaro and Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke for the party’s ticket in that district.

In Kogi West, incumbent Senator Sunday Karimi emerged as the consensus candidate after a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Governor Usman Ododo at the Government House in Lokoja. Despite six other aspirants being cleared, including former Senator Smart Adeyemi and Aro Bamidele, political observers believe Karimi remains the frontrunner due to the consensus arrangement.

For Kogi East, seven aspirants were cleared to contest, including incumbent Senator Isah Echocho, Joseph Ameh, and Murtala Ajaka.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also concluded its primaries for House of Representatives seats in Kogi State, largely through consensus arrangements.

Former lawmaker Abdulrahman Badamasuiy emerged as the PDP candidate for Okehi/Adavi Federal Constituency, while other candidates such as Mohammed A. Etudaiye, Lawal Idrisu, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, Femi Victor Olubiyi, Ibigbemi Seun Samuel, Abubakar Yahaya, Okolo Ikani Benjamin, and Ukwenya Paul Ogwu secured tickets across various constituencies.

Speaking after his affirmation, Abdulrahman Badamasuiy expressed gratitude to party members for the peaceful conduct of the exercise and pledged to leverage his legislative experience to attract development projects and provide quality representation.

This development sets the stage for a competitive primary in the APC, particularly in Kogi Central where Yahaya Bello’s entry has heightened political interest. It also underscores the PDP’s reliance on consensus-building as a strategy for candidate selection across federal constituencies.