As the 2027 general election draws closer, two senatorial contests in Ogun and Kwara states are attracting attention. In both states, sitting governors hoping to move to the Senate may have to contend with opponents who have their own political followings, experience and alliances.
In Ogun East, businessman and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Alhaji AbdulHameed Femi Omotayo, popularly known as Omo Owo, is preparing to challenge Governor Dapo Abiodun. In Kwara Central, incumbent Senator Saliu Mustapha has left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP after failing to secure the party’s governorship ticket. He is now seeking re-election to the Senate in a contest that could pit him against Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The circumstances surrounding the two races are different, but both have been shaped by political disagreements, changing alliances and the ambitions of the candidates involved.
For the governors, the goal is to secure seats in the National Assembly after their time in office. For their challengers, it is an opportunity to stop them from getting those seats.
Omo Owo: The businessman taking on Abiodun
Omo Owo comes into the Ogun East contest with a background that differs from that of many career politicians. He spent more than 30 years in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, building his career in business before deciding to pursue elective office.
Known across Ijebu-land as the “Son of the People”, Omotayo is hoping to turn his business experience and community relationships into a mandate to represent Ogun East in the Senate.
He emerged as the PDP’s candidate after winning the party’s senatorial primary on May 20, 2026, and later collected his Certificate of Return at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
His emergence sets up a contest with Abiodun, who is seeking to move from the Ogun State Government House to the Senate. Omotayo has not hidden his confidence. At a media parley in Ijebu-Ode, he reportedly declared that he would defeat Abiodun by noon on election day, January 16, 2027. The statement has added to the conversation around the race, but the real test will be whether he can turn that confidence into votes across the district.
Beyond business and politics, Omotayo’s profile highlights his philanthropic activities and commitment to religious coexistence. Although a Muslim, he reportedly hosts the annual Christian Association of Nigeria festival at his family home and built a church in honour of his late mother.
These details form part of the public image he presents as he seeks to win the confidence of voters across religious and social lines. Still, the Ogun East contest will not be decided by personal reputation alone. Party structures, grassroots support and alliances with other political interests will also matter.
There have been reports of discussions involving political figures and groups opposed to Abiodun’s senatorial ambition. There is also speculation that some of these interests could work with Omotayo. The extent of any such arrangement, however, remains unclear.
For Omo Owo, the challenge is to turn his business background, community connections and PDP platform into broad electoral support. Abiodun, meanwhile, will be looking to secure the backing needed to make the move from governor to senator.
Saliu Mustapha: A political veteran on a new platform
The situation in Kwara Central carries a different political history. Mustapha is already a senator and wants to return to the National Assembly for another term. His current contest follows a disagreement over the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket, which he sought but failed to secure.
The party eventually settled on House of Assembly Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu as its governorship candidate. Mustapha subsequently left the APC and joined the PDP, where he is seeking re-election to the Senate. His move has brought him into direct competition with AbdulRazaq, who is also seeking the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
Known as the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, Mustapha has been involved in Nigerian politics for more than two decades. He was a founding leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), serving as its Deputy National Chairman before the party joined others in the merger that produced the APC.
He also developed a political relationship with former President Muhammadu Buhari through his involvement in The Buhari Organization and the ANPP presidential campaigns between 2003 and 2007.
Outside politics, Mustapha is a businessman and real estate investor. Through the Saliu Mustapha Foundation, he has supported scholarships, healthcare services, infrastructure development and economic empowerment initiatives, particularly in Kwara State.
His political move to the PDP has also brought renewed attention to his relationship with former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who remains an influential figure in Kwara politics.
The coming together of Mustapha’s supporters and Saraki’s political camp could become an important factor in the contest. Mustapha believes their combined influence, alongside his own support base, will make the race difficult for the governor. He has reportedly declared that he will defeat AbdulRazaq before 1 p.m. on election day.
Whether that confidence will translate into victory remains to be seen. The election will test Mustapha’s ability to retain the support he enjoys as an incumbent senator while drawing on the political network associated with Saraki.
For AbdulRazaq, the contest is an opportunity to extend his political career into the Senate. For Mustapha, it is a chance to defend his seat and challenge the political direction taken by the APC leadership in the state.
The alliances behind the ambitions
The contests in Ogun East and Kwara Central are not just about individual candidates. The political parties and alliances supporting them could play an important role in determining how the races unfold.
In Ogun, Omo Owo will need to convince voters that his business experience and community ties make him the right person to represent the district. Any alliance with other political interests could also influence the contest, although reports of such arrangements should be treated with caution until they are confirmed.
In Kwara, Mustapha’s defection has shown how disagreements within a ruling party can change the shape of an election. His relationship with Saraki’s political camp adds another dimension to the race, but the extent to which that alliance can mobilise voters will become clearer as the campaign progresses.
The governors face their own challenges. Both will be asking voters to support their move from the state level to the National Assembly, while their opponents will be making the case for why the seats should remain beyond their reach.
The voters will have the final say
Omo Owo and Saliu Mustapha have both expressed confidence in their chances, but campaign declarations alone cannot determine the outcome of an election.
For Omo Owo, the question is whether a career built largely in business can translate into the political support needed to challenge a sitting governor. For Mustapha, it is whether his experience as an incumbent senator and his new alliance with the PDP and Saraki’s political camp can help him retain his seat.
The two contests will test the strength of party structures, personal popularity and political alliances in Ogun and Kwara states.
For now, Omo Owo and Mustapha stand as challengers whose ambitions could complicate the plans of their states’ sitting governors. Whether they can turn that challenge into electoral success will be decided by voters in Ogun East and Kwara Central.
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