Nigeria’s youngest lawmaker, Rukayat Shittu, has won the All Progressives Congress primary election for the Owode/Onire State Constituency seat in the Kwara State House of Assembly.
Shittu defeated her only challenger, Sulyman Ayegun, on Wednesday to secure the party’s ticket for re-election.
The primary election marks a big moment in the constituency’s political landscape. The area has historically operated a rotational arrangement between the Owode and Onire axes, a system that has traditionally limited representatives to only one term.
Party officials and observers described the exercise as keenly contested. Shittu’s victory reflects strong support within party ranks ahead of the general election.
If she wins the general election, Shittu is set to make history as the first lawmaker to secure a second term in Owode/Onire. This would break a long-standing political pattern in the constituency.
Political stakeholders say the outcome of the primary sets the tone for what is likely to be a closely watched contest, as parties begin to mobilise across the constituency ahead of the polls.
