By Kazeem Waris
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, as the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial District election scheduled for January 2027.
Bello’s name appeared on INEC’s final list of candidates released for the Kogi Central, Kogi East and Kogi West senatorial districts, putting to rest months of uncertainty over his candidacy.
The list, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains 42 candidates across the three senatorial districts and provides their names, political parties, ages, gender and educational qualifications.
Bello, 51, is listed alongside 10 other candidates contesting the Kogi Central seat.
Among them is the incumbent senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. INEC listed her qualifications as First School Leaving Certificate, Senior School Certificate Examination and Bachelor of Laws, LL.B.
Other candidates in the district include Suzan Jagbadi of the Accord Party; Muhammad Jatto of the African Action Congress, AAC; Babalawale Habib of the Action Peoples Party, APP; Ogembe Salau Ahmed of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; Muhammed Aminu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; Suleiman Isah of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM; Salau Muritala Audu of the National Democratic Coalition, NDC; Onuja Umar Sunday of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP; and Bashir Yusuf of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
Bello’s emergence as the APC candidate followed a politically charged build-up during which questions were raised about his eligibility and acceptability within the party.
The Kogi APC Renaissance Forum had earlier opposed his emergence, warning that fielding the former governor could jeopardise the party’s chances of retaining the senatorial seat.
The former governor was, however, cleared by the APC screening committee and subsequently won the party’s primary election.
Bello reportedly polled 72,399 votes across the five local government areas in Kogi Central to defeat his closest rival, Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke, who scored 319 votes, while another aspirant, Momoh Yusuf Obaro, secured 188 votes.
The INEC list also shows that 17 candidates are contesting the Kogi East senatorial election, while 14 candidates are listed for Kogi West.
In Kogi East, candidates include Ameh Erico Joseph of the APC, Ochija Berikisu of the Democracy for the Liberation of Africa, DLA, Ojogbane Paul Ilemona of the National Democratic Party, NDP, and Muhammed Abdullahi of the PDP.
For Kogi West, the candidates include Karimi Sunday of the APC, Musa Ibrahim Ahmadu of the ADC and Yusuf Ayo Tajudeen of the PDP.
The final list also shows that none of the 42 candidates across the three senatorial districts was listed as a person living with disability, with the Persons With Disabilities, PWD, column marked “None.”
The candidates are aged between 36 and 73 years.
