TheCable

Following a series of meetings between former senate president Bukola Saraki and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Kwara state, Bolaji Abdullahi, former minister of sports and youth development, looks set to be adopted as the senatorial candidate for Kwara central in the 2023 general election.

Rafiu Ibrahim, former chairman of senate committee on banking, insurance and other financial institutions, is also on course to be the PDP consensus candidate for Kwara south.

TheCable understands that Saraki, who was governor of the state from 2007 to 2011, presided over the meetings where the micro-zoning arrangements were finalised.

The ticket for Kwara central was micro-zoned to Ilorin West LGA, where Abdullahi (pictured) hails from and is the only notable candidate to have indicated interest.

The Kwara south candidate will come from Oyun LGA, where Ibrahim hails from, following the micro-zoning.

TheCable learnt that the arrangement for Kwara north has not been concluded because the senatorial district is tipped to produce the PDP governorship candidate and more negotiation needs to be done.

Saraki and the party leaders from Kwara central agreed to zone the senatorial ticket to Ilorin West, one of the four local government areas within the senatorial district, because of its large population and voting strength, insiders told TheCable.

One of the party members said: “We are looking to field only candidates who are popular. Abdullahi’s popularity among the youth population in the senatorial district and his impressive achievements in the previous offices he has held are some of the factors that make him the party’s obvious choice.”

For Kwara south, the party leadership zoned the senate ticket to Oyun — one of the seven local government areas in the district.

Ibrahim is the only aspiring candidate from Oyo.

“Saraki believes in the ideals of consensus because it helps to strengthen internal cohesion and manage any likely fall-out from the primaries,” a party leader from the state told TheCable.

Saraki, who has indicated interest in contesting for the party’s presidential ticket, is also advocating consensus at the national level and has held meetings with other aspiring candidates to work out an arrangement.