Kwara’s Youngest Female Lawmaker, Rukayat Shittu, Wins Return Ticket

Nigeria’s youngest lawmaker, Rukayat Shittu, has secured victory at the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primary election.

Shittu emerged as the APC candidate for the Owode/Onire State Constituency seat in the Kwara State House of Assembly ahead of the next general election.

The primary election marked a significant moment in the constituency’s political landscape, which has historically operated a rotational arrangement between the Owode and Onire axes — a system that has traditionally limited representatives to a single term.

Party officials and observers described the exercise as keenly contested, with Shittu’s emergence reflecting strong support within party ranks ahead of the general election.

She defeated her only cleared challenger, Sulyman Ayegun, to clinch the party’s ticket.

If successful at the general election, Shittu is expected to become the first lawmaker to secure a second term in Owode/Onire, potentially breaking a long-standing political pattern in the constituency.

Political stakeholders said the outcome of the primary has set the tone for what is likely to be a closely watched contest as political parties begin mobilisation across the constituency ahead of the polls.