Date: 2018-10-27

Senate President Bukola Saraki has an uphill battle on his hand to save his Kwara Central Senatorial seat as he faces a poll contest with 16 other candidates, four of whom are women.

According to details published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),Saraki, will fly the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election. The last time he contested in 2015, he ran on the All Progressives Congress platform.

His rivals in the February 16, 2019 election will include the candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) as well as those of 14 other political parties.

The four women seeking the Kwara Central Senatorial seat with Saraki are Abubakar Khadijat Akanni of MPN, Okanlawon Adekunle Taiwo of GPN, AbdulWaheed Mariam Titilayo of ADP and AbdulSalam Kuburat of LP.

Other candidates for the seat are a former member of the State House of Assembly Dr Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC), Abdurahman Garuba (AP), Ambali Mujaheed (ACPN), Babatunde Sambo (SDP), Abdulraheem Abubakar (ADC) and Mohammed Saidu of Peoples Trust (PT).

In Kwara North, Alhaji Sodiq Umar of the APC will slug it out with Zakari Mohammed of PDP while Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of PDP and Architect Lola Ashiru of APC are the frontline candidates in Kwara South.

On the list for Oyo South Senatorial District were the incumbent, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, who is running on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who is running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akanbi was elected on the APC platform in 2015. He defected to ADC in September when he discovered that Governor Ajimobi had obtained the form for his seat. While he hails from Ibadan North West Local Government Area, Ajimobi hails from Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

Also contending for the same seat from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is Mr Adebayo Lawal while Mr Fola Akinosun is angling for it on the platform of African Democratic Party (ADP).

In Oyo Central District, former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin of APC will slug it out with the incumbent, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu. The latter was also elected on the platform of the APC in 2015 but defected to ADC recently. Folarin picked the APC ticket this time. He defected from the PDP earlier in the year.

PDP fielded Mr Oyebisi Ilaka while ADP fielded the current member, House of Representatives for Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency, Hon. Olatoye Temitope Subaru.

In Oyo North, the incumbent, Senator Fatai Buhari of APC will slug it out with PDP's Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, ADC's Adeleke Lawal Adebayo and ADP's Ahmed Salawudeen. Akande-Adeola is a former Majority Leader, House of Representatives.

With some of the political juggernauts racing for the same seat, the 2019 senatorial election in Oyo State promises to be very interesting.

Also on the new INEC's list for the senatorial race are Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West), Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha (Imo West) and former Minister of State for Works Dayo Adeyeye (Ekiti South), among others.

Ekweremadu's opponents in Enugu West include Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu (APC), Ken Onyekaonwu (UPP), Ozoani Chinedu (JMPP),NAN