Abdul Haji is set to be declared the Senator for Garissa County unopposed to replace his father Yusuf Haji who died in Nairobi on February 15.

Haji is set to be declared the winner given nobody else submitted their nomination papers to electoral body IEBC by the close of Wednesday, the deadline for those eyeing the seat.

The Garissa senatorial by-election was slated for May 18 but if he is declared victor unopposed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will not hold a poll there.

Abdul Haji. PHOTO/COURTESY 

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IEBC is expected to make a decision on the matter after the Garissa County IEBC Returning Officer Hussein Gure submits the nomination papers for the sole senatorial candidate.

Abdul Haji is set to become the third politician to be chosen unopposed in a mini-poll after Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi.

Yusuf Haji. PHOTO/COURTESY

In 1989, Mudavadi was elected unopposed as the Sabatia MP to take over from his then powerful cabinet minister father, Moses Mudavadi, under the President Daniel Moi regime.

Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Kuria. PHOTOS/COURTESY

Later in 2014, Kuria sailed to Parliament unopposed to represent Gatundu South after his main opponent Kiarie Kamere (New Democrats Party) was prevailed upon to step down ahead of a by-election that followed the death of MP Joseph Ngugi Nyumu.

Abdul Haji. PHOTO/COURTESY 

Clan politics played in Haji’s favour as he got backing from elders of all the main clans in Garissa after his father died at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi following a long illness.

Noordin Haji. PHOTO/COURTESY

Abdul Yusuf Haji, who is also a brother to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, bust into national and international limelight after risking his life by going into Westgate Mall in Westlands during an al Shabaab attack in 2013 and rescued many lives.