Youngest Kwara Lawmaker Rukayat Shittu Wins APC Re-Election Primary Ticket

Nigeria’s youngest lawmaker, Rukayat Shittu, has secured victory in the All Progressives Congress re-election primary for the Owode/Onire State Constituency seat in the Kwara State House of Assembly.

Shittu emerged victorious on Wednesday after defeating her only challenger, Sulyman Ayegun, in a closely watched party primary ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Her victory is being regarded as a significant political development within the constituency, particularly because of the long-standing rotational arrangement between the Owode and Onire political blocs — a system that has historically restricted lawmakers to serving only one term.

Party stakeholders and political observers described the primary election as competitive, noting that Shittu’s emergence reflects growing support for her within the APC structure in the constituency.

The young legislator, who gained national attention after becoming one of Nigeria’s youngest elected lawmakers, will now fly the APC flag in the general election.

READ ALSO: Kwara Lawmaker Seeks New LGAs to Strengthen Governance, Security

Political analysts believe the outcome could reshape the constituency’s political tradition if Shittu succeeds in securing re-election.

If elected again, she would become the first lawmaker in the history of the Owode/Onire constituency to win a second term, potentially breaking a long-standing political pattern that has defined representation in the area for years.

Her emergence is also expected to intensify political activities across the constituency as parties begin mobilisation efforts ahead of the next electoral phase.

Supporters of the lawmaker have described her victory as a reflection of confidence in her performance and leadership style during her first term in the Kwara State House of Assembly.

The upcoming general election is expected to attract significant attention within Kwara politics, with stakeholders closely monitoring whether the constituency’s traditional power-sharing arrangement will withstand growing calls for continuity and experience in representation.