FORMER Kogi State governorship candidate, Yakubu Ajaka, has been cleared by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the Kogi East Senatorial race ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ajaka, popularly known among supporters as ‘Muri’, received his clearance on Saturday during the APC screening exercise and granted a waiver by the chairman of the screening committee and former Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, according to PUNCH.
Shaibu asked him to “take a bow and go” during the exercise, a gesture party supporters described as recognition of his role within the APC and his past service as the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary.
Speaking after the screening, Ajaka called for reconciliation, peace and unity among the people of Kogi East, saying meaningful development could only be achieved through cooperation and collective purpose.
“I want to be a true representative of the people, someone who listens to their voices and fights sincerely for their interests,” he said.
He urged political leaders and stakeholders to set aside personal interests and work together for the advancement of the Igala nation and the broader development of Kogi State.
Ajaka noted that his senatorial ambition was driven by a desire to provide “purposeful and people-oriented representation” that reflects the needs of ordinary citizens.
He promised that if elected, he would use his political connections at the national level to attract federal projects, economic investments, youth empowerment opportunities and infrastructure development to Kogi East.
He also pledged that his campaign would focus on tackling unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructure and underdevelopment across the district.
Ajaka’s latest political move comes after a dramatic shift in alliances following the 2023 Kogi governorship election, where he emerged as the candidate of the Social Democratic Party after previously serving as Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC.
He contested against Ahmed Usman Ododo, the anointed successor of former governor Yahaya Bello, but lost after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Ododo winner with 446,237 votes against Ajaka’s 259,052 votes.
Ajaka challenged the outcome at the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, alleging widespread irregularities, vote-buying and electoral malpractice.
However, the tribunal dismissed his petition in May 2024 and affirmed Ododo’s victory, ruling that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
The former gubernatorial candidate proceeded to the Court of Appeal and later the Supreme Court, but both courts upheld Ododo’s victory and dismissed the litigant’s appeals for lacking merit.
Before joining the SDP in 2023, he had been a prominent figure within the APC and was among aspirants seeking the party’s governorship ticket before internal disputes and legal battles disrupted the process.
In a major political twist ahead of the 2027 elections, Ajaka recently rejoined the APC in Kogi largely controlled by Yahaya Bello. Bello has also been reportedly cleared by the APC to contest the Kogi Central Senatorial District seat. He will be facing Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) who seeks re-election for a second term in the Red Chamber.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.