INEC Confirms Yahaya Bello as APC Kogi Central Candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released its final list of candidates for the Kogi Central, Kogi East and Kogi West senatorial districts ahead of the January 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The list, signed by the Secretary of INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains 42 candidates across the three senatorial districts, with their names, political parties, ages, gender and qualifications.

Former Governor Yahaya Bello, 51, is listed as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Kogi Central alongside 10 other contenders.

Among those contesting the seat are Suzan Jagbadi of Accord, Muhammad Jatto of the African Action Congress, Babalawale Habib of the Action Peoples Party, Ogembe Salau Ahmed of the African Democratic Congress and Muhammed Aminu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

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Others are Suleiman Isah of the Allied Peoples Movement, Salau Muritala Audu of the National Democratic Coalition, Onuja Umar Sunday of the Peoples Redemption Party and Bashir Yusuf of the Social Democratic Party.

The incumbent senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is also on the list as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate seeking re-election.

The document lists her qualifications as First School Leaving Certificate, Senior School Certificate Examination and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B).

Bello’s emergence as the APC candidate followed months of uncertainty over his eligibility, with the Kogi APC Renaissance Forum previously warning that his selection could cost the party the senatorial seat.

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The group had cited what it described as Bello’s weak grassroots acceptance, including within his home constituency.

Reports also suggested complications during his screening process that could have kept him out of the race before the party’s screening committee eventually cleared him alongside other aspirants.

Bello subsequently won the APC primary for Kogi Central by a wide margin, polling 72,399 votes across the five local government areas against 319 votes for his closest rival, Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke, while Momoh Yusuf Obaro scored 188 votes.

In Kogi East, 17 candidates are contesting under various political parties, including Ameh Erico Joseph of the APC, Ochija Berikisu of the Democracy for the Liberation of Africa, Ojogbane Paul Ilemona of the National Democratic Party and Muhammed Abdullahi of the PDP.

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In Kogi West, 14 candidates are in contention, including Karimi Sunday of the APC, Musa Ibrahim Ahmadu of the ADC and Yusuf Ayo Tajudeen of the PDP.

The document lists no candidate as living with disability across the three districts, with the “PWD” column marked “None” for all the candidates.

The candidates are aged between 36 and 73 years.

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