Former Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Rotimi Iliasu, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party leadership and former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, of frustrating his bid to contest the 2027 Kwara North senatorial election.
Speaking at the News Keg engagement organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ilorin, Iliasu alleged that he won the party’s primary but was denied recognition as its candidate.
The former commissioner, who defected from the All Progressives Congress to the PDP, said he joined his new party in pursuit of fairness, justice and equity.
“I left the APC because I was not duly acknowledged by the governor,” he said.
Iliasu, 45, said he subsequently mobilised support for the PDP in Baruten, Moro and Kaiama, drawing on his relationship with residents and his record of service.
He alleged, however, that the party’s chairman discouraged delegates from voting for him during the primary.
“On the day of the election, the party chairman made calls to people not to vote for me, but Allah made me win. I was the only winner whose result was not announced,” he claimed.
According to Iliasu, party officials referred him to the chairman when he sought clarification about the outcome. He alleged that the chairman demanded a withdrawal letter as a condition for announcing his name.
“I refused to write the letter because of my respect for the people who defied all consequences to vote for me,” he said.
The politician also accused Saraki of backing the alleged substitution of his name, saying repeated efforts to secure his intervention were unsuccessful.
He recalled exchanging messages with the former Senate President before visiting his Abuja residence to discuss the dispute.
Iliasu alleged that, during the meeting, Saraki told him that “heaven would not fall” if he challenged the matter in court.
He said the failure of internal efforts to resolve the disagreement informed his decision to seek judicial redress.
“I went to court for justice. If I lose, so be it, but if I win, then Allah has decreed,” he said.
Responses from Saraki and the PDP leadership were not included in the material supplied for this report.
