A former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi has emerged as the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Kwara central.
Abdullahi, also a former National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged through consensus during the party’s primary election in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Addressing journalists after his emergence, Abdullahi said emerging through a consensus is democratic as the process does not allow imposition.
“Where there are voices of dissent, no matter how minor those voices could be, then they must have the opportunity to have their day in accordance with the regulations of the election,” he said.
“But where there is no such dissent, then you should not expect to have any rift. What you are seeing possibly is a situation whereby everybody is not on the same page on the mode of selection.
“When everybody is not on the same page, then it is difficult to begin to talk about consensus and there is an alternative to consensus which is competitive primaries. We have also seen it happen here yesterday in our party, in this state.”
A former senator, Rafiu Ibrahim also emerged as the PDP consensus candidate for Kwara South.
He was affirmed by the delegates as the consensus candidate.
In Kwara North, it was a keen contest between a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Issa Bawa and a former Commissioner for Special Duties, Aisha Ahman-Pategi.
Issa Bawa eventually defeated Ahman-Pategi to clinch the party’s senatorial ticket for Kwara North.