The people of Patigi Emirate, one of the major settlements in the north Senatorial district of Kwara State, have demanded the slot of the next senator to represent the district by 2027.
The people, under the aegis of Patigi Emirate Development Union (PEDU) said by principle of rotation that decides where a senator emerges in the district, it is the turn of their emirate to produce the next senator.
The emirate forms the Patigi Local Government Area, one of the five local government areas that constitute the district.
The other areas are Edu, Kaiama, Baruteen and Moro, with Moro being largely populated by the Ilorin people who are of the same family as the people of the central senatorial district.
The emirate, while stating that they last produced the senator between 1999-2003 for only 4 years, said that Baruteen produced it for eight years between 2003-2011, Edu for eight years between 2011-2019 and Kaiama for eight years by 2027, when the incumbent, who is from the local government, would have concluded his second term in office.
National chairman of the emirate’s union, Umar Saliu Bologi, who spoke at a press conference on behalf of the emirate, called on the incumbent senator, Sodiq Umar, to respect the rotation principle by not recontesting for the office next year.
Bologi, who said that the emirate has always supported the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) in the state, also urged the party to intervene and let justice prevail.
He stated: “The Patigi Emirate Development Union respectfully calls on Senator Sodiq Sulaiman Umar to demonstrate statemanship and democratic responsibility by: respecting the established zoning and rotational understanding within Kwara North; honouring the collective agreement and political consensus of stakeholders across the district; prioritising the unity, peace, and stability of Kwara North above personal political ambition and withdrawing from the proposed 2027 senatorial contest in the interest of fairness, justice and regional cohesion.
“Furthermore, the Patigi Emirate Development Union considers it necessary to respectfully admonish the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels and across all organs of the party to carefully consider the historical loyalty, commitment, and electoral contributions of the people of Patigi Emirate to the growth and electoral successes of the party over the years.
“The people of Patigi have remained steadfast supporters of the APC through successive electoral cycles, demonstrating uncommon political discipline, unity, and loyalty even in challenging circumstances. It is therefore expected that such loyalty and consistency will be reciprocated with fairness, equity, and political inclusion in the party’s decision-making process regarding the 2027 Kwara North Senatorial ticket.”