By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The people of Patigi in Patigi Local Government Area, one of the five Council Areas making up the Kwara North Senatorial Zone have rejected the third term bid of the incumbent, Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Ilorin under the aegis of Pategi Emirate Development Union (PEDU) said his fresh bid negated the rotational arrangement on ground among the LGAs that makes up the political zone.
PEDU President, Alhaji Salihu Bologi Umar said for decades, the people and political stakeholders of Kwara North Senatorial District have firmly sustained
a respected and peaceful zoning understanding founded on the principles of Justice, equity, inclusion and mutual political respect.
He displayed a table that reflected Edu, Kiama and Baruten Local Governments who had produced Senators for the District that served two terms each but Pategi, at the time that it did only manage to finish only one ter
He added that the incumbent Senator Umar would be finishing his second term next year as their Senator but funny enough, had commenced pushing for the third term in 2027.
He therefore firmly opposed any attempt by the Senator to seek re-election to the Senate in 2027, insisting that the Kwara North senatorial seat should rotate to Patigi Local Government Area in line with an established zoning arrangement within the District.
He reinterated that PEDU maintained that under the understanding, each Local Government area is expected to hold the senatorial seat for two terms, or eight years, before it rotates to another area, adding that it was now the turn of Patigi.
According to the union, “the people of Patigi Local Government Area consider it both justifiable and appropriate that the 2027 Kwara North Senatorial mandate be ceded to Patigi LGA.”
The group commended what it described as the political loyalty of the Patigi Emirate to successive administrations and party structures in the district, noting that the area had consistently supported the collective interest of Kwara North.
PEDU, however, urged Senator Umar to respect the zoning understanding and reconsider any ambition to return to the Senate in 2027, saying such a move would run contrary to the spirit of fairness and rotation that has guided the district’s political arrangement.
The union also appealed to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to recognise the contributions and loyalty of the Patigi Emirate to the party over the years, stressing that fairness in candidate selection would strengthen unity within the district.
It warned that failure to adhere to the zoning principle could provoke political realignments within the emirate, though it stressed that its position was not intended as a threat but as an appeal for justice and inclusion. P
“This position is not intended as a threat, but as a sincere appeal for justice, inclusion, and the preservation of political trust between the party and the people of Patigi Emirate,” the statement read.
Reiterating its stance, PEDU declared: “No to third term representation. Respect the established zoning tradition. Justice for Patigi LGA. Two terms are sufficient. Patigi turn is now.”
The union called on political stakeholders, traditional rulers, youth groups and community leaders across Kwara North to sustain dialogue and uphold the principles of equity and peaceful political cooperation in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.