Kwara gov drops Senate ticket under pressure

The Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed yesterday admitted that he might forego his senatorial ticket for Kwara South Senatorial District for the incumbent Sen. Abdulrafiu Ibrahim. He said the talks within the Dr. Bukola Saraki political family for him to step aside had been on for a while. He clarified that forsaking the ticket had nothing to do with the November 17 by-election into Ekiti/ Oke Ero/ Isin/ Irepodun Federal Constituency.

But findings confirmed that Saraki, who is the governor’s godfather, directed Ahmed to forget his ambition after the defeat. Although Saraki had initially favoured Abdulrafiu but Ahmed sent many PDP governors to his godfather to concede the ticket to him. The governor’s first political test after securing the ticket was election into the Federal constituency which was fatal for PDP.

A PDP source said: “Our leader has taken the senatorial ticket away from the governor because he cannot afford to take any risk. The slot is now for the present occupant of the seat, Sen. Abdulrafiu Ibrahim. What we are trying to do is to give the governor a soft landing. We do not want it to appear as if the governor is being humiliated. To get the ticket, the governor sent emissaries to our leader. It has now turned out that the shoe is bigger than him because 2019 poll is really testy for us.

The Nation, November 25, 2018

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now