By Dele Moses
The All Progressives Congress (APC) with a new set of members came into power in Kwara State in 2019 when it unseated the hitherto powerful Saraki dynasty which had dominated the politics of the state since the Second Republic. Shortly before 2019, the party had come to power by 2015 but it was then the party of the Saraki dynasty. However before the 2019 election the dynasty went back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from where it had joined APC in 2015.
A new set of members the APC had in in 2019 who at present are still the members comprise politicians in the state who opposed to the continuation of the reign of the Saraki’s camp in the politics of the state. The APC with these new members was able to overthrow the camp in 2019 as it won all seats contested in the election including the governorship, the three senatorial, the six House of Representatives and the 24 State House of Assembly seats.
The party’s victory was largely seen as being as a result of a movement against continuance of the Saraki dynasty. The movement was championed not only by members of the party but also by many non-politician residents of the state who apparently were tired of the dynasty. The slogan of the movement then was “O to ge” (enough is enough).
There were many chieftains of the party who came out for its governorship ticket out of which Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was eventually announced as the winner of the primary election contested by the aspirants. Abdulrazaq’s many co-contestants whom he did not tower above in terms of influence, structure and grassroot support in the party were reportedly prevailed upon by the national leadership of the party to accept his emergence as the party’s flagbearer and for the sake of interest of the party, work for his victory at the general election.
Abdulrazaq won the election and he won again in 2023 for his second term of office though with a bigger strength as the incumbent governor, yet, it is still not without the cooporation and support of some of the other powerfuls who slugged it out with him at the party’s primaries in 2019.
The party in 2027 would be getting involved in another round of
governorship election which it would be contesting against some opposition parties in the state which include the PDP of the Saraki’s camp which is reportedly working assiduously to regain rein of power in the state.
However, the APC appears to be having a serious crisis over the choice of the candidate that will be the flagbearer of the party at the governorship election. Abdulrazaq would be finishing his second term of office by 2027 and can not therefore contest for the office any longer but the contest over who will succeed him as the party’s candidate in the next election has been a fierce one threatening unity of the party and its possible victory at the poll.
There were 16 chieftains of the party who reportedly purchased form to contest for the party’s governorship ticket. The aspirants include Olufemi Sanni, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, Muhammad Omar Bio, Dele Belgore (a former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria), Tajudeen Abdulkadir, Dr Tajudeen Oluwatoyin Alabi, Amb Yahaya Seriki, Salihu Yakubu Danladi ( the incumbent Speaker of the state House of Assembly), Ahmad Ibrahim, Azeez Muideen, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Dr Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa ( a former chairman of the APC in the state) Yetunde Bello, Aishatu Ahman Patigi, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman (former Minister of National Planning) and Prof. Olawale Sulaiman.
The crisis over the contest for the choice candidate of the party among the aspirants for the governorship election appears not to be unconnected with alleged decision of the Governor Abdulrazaq to make his own stooge the party’s candidate without properly following the guideline for the processes of producing a governorship candidate.
The governor had once said that he did not have interest in establishing a dynasty but only to ensure that his party retain its status of being the choice party of the electorate in the state.
But, long before he made the pronouncement there had been speculation that he was grooming Danladi, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly to succeed him as governor. He had been the one who ensured that Danladi who is about the youngest member of the Assembly became Speaker of the House both for the first term and second. As the speculation was spreading it was being seen in many quarters that the governor was intetrested in planting his stooge in office after his own tenure.
While this speculation was on another one that also got widely spread was that the governor was interested in going to the Senate after serving out his governorship tenure and that in doing that he would want to deny the incumbent Senator from his Senatorial district, Saliu Mustapha, the party’s ticket for another term.
Mustapha who is running his first term at the Senate is a formidable politician in the Kwara Central Senatorial District where both he and the governor hails from. He is considered by many as a politician that can not be dwarfed in that district by the governor in term of structure and popularity.
The senator who is also being seen has a politician that has a wide support base in the state to be able to do well at a governorship election has however chosen not to vie the senatorial ticket of the party with Abdulrazaq as he joined the contest for the party’s governorship ticket.
The two speculations now seem to be true about the governor’s intention as not only has he won the party’s ticket for the senatorial seat but also, Danladi has been announced has the governorship aspirant who won the party’s ticket for the next year election.
The announcement of Danladi came after the governor had initially pronounced Yahaya Seriki has his preferred choice of successor. This was few days before the first governorship primary election of the party. But, while the election was going on it was stopped midway and announced to be postponed till the following day by the electoral team sent from the national Secretariat of the party.
There was no categorical reason given for the cancellation of the election and its postponement as the state chairman of the party, Sunday attributed postponement to a directive from the party’s national secretariat.
However, going by the result announced by the electoral team when the election was conducted afresh the following day, it was the belief in many quarters that the earlier election was discontinued to enable the original intention of Gov Abdulrazaq be realized.
The electoral team led by Senator Musiliu Obanikoro announced Danladi as the winner of the election . Obanikoro said Danladi scored 94, 990 votes to win 65 per cent of the total votes. He announced Seriki to be the first runner-up with 41, 700 and Bashir Bolarinwa as second runner-up with 22, 188.
Since this announcement, the APC in the state has yet to get over the crisis that ensued as most other aspirants that contested the primaries hell-bent on the position that the result should not stand as they alleged that it did not reflect the wish of the majority of members of the party.
Ten of the aspirants have called on President Bola Tinubu to review the governorship primary election and other primaries carried out by the party in the state to ensure that the party is not defeated in the state in 2027 general election through the choice of candidates chosen.
The aspirants insinuated that Danladi who was chosen as the governorship candidate did not emerge either through proper election or consensus arrangement but by endorsement of the incumbent of Governor Abdulrazaq.
The aspirants who are Oluwatoyin Alabi, Ahmad Mahmud, Alhaji Tajudeen Audi, Dr Azeez Olaniyi, Seriki, Mustapha, Bolarinwa, Mohammed Bio, Belgore and Oloriegbe made their position known in a joint open letter they wrote to the president on the future of the party in the state.
They alleged that Governor Abdulrazaq has failed to provide an inclusive, broad-based and unifying leadership within the party and, as a result, has weaken political strength of the party in the state.
They said the popularity of the governor has declined and that he has lost moral and political authorities to determine the future of the party in the state.
The aspirants warned that if the party is coming out to the 2027 election with endorsed candidates of the governor it may spell disaster for the party at the poll.
They urged the president to review records, capacities and acceptabilities of the governorship aspirants and with that assessment choose a consensus candidate among them.
They pledged to all support the choice if this arrangement is followed as they expressed confidence in victory of the party at the poll with the arrangement.
The aspirants wrote: “We, the undersigned governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State,
write to convey our warm felicitations to Your Excellency on the occasion of the third anniversary of
your administration.
“As committed members of our great party, we remain steadfast in our support for your leadership and
resolute in our loyalty to your administration. We reaffirm our total allegiance to Your Excellency and our unreserved support for your re-election in 2027. We are convinced that the Renewed Hope Agenda remains the surest path to unlocking Nigeria’s vast potential, and we stand prepared to contribute meaningfully to its full realization.
“While we join in celebrating the milestones of your administration, we consider it imperative to draw your urgent attention to the grave and worsening situation within our party in Kwara State. We do so with profound respect, but also with a deep sense of responsibility and concern for the future of the APC and the political legacy your leadership helped to shape in our state.
“Your Excellency will recall the historic Otoge movement, which culminated in the landmark victory of the APC in 2019. That victory was not the product of any single individual, but of a broad coalition of stakeholders, political tendencies, community leaders, party loyalists, and progressive forces united by a shared resolve to end political domination and restore democratic inclusion in Kwara State. We remain deeply appreciative of the role you played in supporting and guiding that struggle.
“Regrettably, the gains of that collective sacrifice have not been consolidated in a manner that reflects the magnitude of the effort and expectations of our people. The individual who emerged as the principal beneficiary of that historic victory, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has, in our considered view, failed to provide the inclusive, broad-based, and unifying leadership required to
sustain the coalition that brought our party to power.
“Over the past seven years, key stakeholders who devoted their resources, energy, and political capital to the building of the APC in Kwara State have been alienated, marginalized, or deliberately excluded from meaningful participation in both government and party affairs.
“The result has been a steady weakening of the APC’s political strength in the state and a troubling resurgence of opposition elements. The support base of our party has been significantly diminished.
“In our firm assessment, Governor AbdulRazaq has lost the moral and political authority to determine the future of the APC in Kwara State. His popularity has declined markedly, and there is widespread apprehension among party members and stakeholders that any candidate associated with his endorsement may be seriously disadvantaged at the polls. In order to avert further damage and forestall a deeper crisis, we respectfully urge Your Excellency to consider the following.
“1. That Your Excellency take a sober and critical look at the developments in Kwara State,
including the circumstances surrounding the announcement of results for primaries that did not
hold, and intervene in the interest of the party’s survival.
“2. That Your Excellency carefully review the records, capacities, loyalty, and statewide
acceptability of the aspirants. with a view to making a decisive and unifying choice among the governorship aspirants. We are confident that among us is a leader capable of providing fresh
direction, restoring internal unity, rebuilding stakeholder confidence, strengthening the APC’s
support base, and working closely with Your Excellency as a reliable partner at the subnational
level. Should Your Excellency adopt such a course, we give our solemn assurance that we will
rally behind any consensus candidate acceptable to Your Excellency and the party. We further
pledge to commit our collective structures, resources, and political capital toward securing
victory for all APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
3. That urgent and deliberate steps be taken in respect of other elective positions, including the
National and State Assemblies, to ensure that candidates produced reflect the broad political
realities and tendencies within the state.
“Your Excellency, we must state without ambiguity that if the present trajectory is allowed to continue, the electoral prospects of the APC in Kwara State in all elections (including the presidential election)
will be severely imperilled. Indeed, many stakeholders may be left with no choice but to seek
alternative political platforms to pursue their aspirations in 2027.
“We therefore earnestly appeal for your timely and decisive intervention to prevent the collapse of our Party’s structure in Kwara State and to safeguard victory for the APC in the forthcoming elections.
“We trust in your commitment to justice, fairness, and the preservation of democratic values within our great party and look forward to your urgent intervention.”
However, a chieftain of the party in the state, Chief Raheem Adedoyin, has called for reconciliation iin the party and urged support for Danladi. Adedoyin who is a veteran journalist and a former commissioner for information in the state described Danladi as a competent candidate for the governorship office while saying that the candidate was elected at a proper primary election contrary to the claim that there was no election conducted.
The journalist in a statement said that it was justifiable that Kwara North Senatorial District from where Danladi hails was the district producing the candidate because it is the turn of the district since both central and south districts have produced governors in the current democratic dispensation while only the north is yet to produce.
His statement reads: “For Kwara and possibly a few other Nigerian states, the 2027 election has many implications. In the All Progressives Congress (APC), we are looking to consolidate the gains of the last few years after the bloodless Otoge revolution. I was a part of the Otoge Movement that consummated the revolution. Infact, I hosted at my residence, in Ilorin, the crucial meeting that produced Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa ( BOB), Ph.D, as APC State Chairman.
“Claims that nothing has been achieved are typical political rhetoric; the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has few peers in the history of this state, and I say this with the benefit of experience as a former commissioner and senior citizen.
“In building on these achievements, however, we should do more than merely win another election. Through the 2027 poll, we should further strengthen the fabric of our society and leave to the next generation a state that is not only competitive in development indices but also more equitable, fair, and sustainably peaceful. History teaches that success without social justice amounts to little.
“As a journalist, statesman, and party stakeholder, I believe I am qualified to speak on the current debate about where the next Governor should come from. My position has consistently been that Kwara North should produce the next Governor. I believe going South or Central is less strategic for the ruling party for several reasons.
“First, it would show insufficient appreciation for a region that has remained loyal to the party since 2019. Consistently, Kwara North has delivered bloc votes for the APC. For instance, of the votes polled by Governor AbdulRazaq in 2019, 31.8% of the APC votes came from Kwara North. In 2023, the Governor/APC again secured 34.3% of its victory figures from the region, even when the main opposition party picked its gubernatorial flag bearer from there. The same pattern was evident in the presidential elections of both cycles.
“Neither Kwara Central nor South has much to prove again in gubernatorial politics. By 2027, Central would have governed the state for 20 years, while South occupied the seat between 2011 and 2019 — eight years. Kwara North has had no opportunity.
“Quite frankly, I am concerned by narratives that Kwara North lacks the numbers or competent candidates. Such claims are weak and unverified in light of available electoral data. More importantly, they risk turning one leg of the state’s tripod into a permanent political underclass. That is not how harmonious societies are built. As the Yoruba say, ajoje odun b’enikan oni — we should avoid monopolies that breed bitterness.
“Second, picking our candidate outside Kwara North could create the impression that our leaders have scant regard for social justice. No society thrives that way, and we must tread carefully. Third, we risk alienating the entire region. That, in my view, could hand the opposition a near-irreversible advantage in the next election. As a party administrator and strategist, I do not agree that retaining the ticket in the North is a bad strategy. Nothing concrete supports that conclusion.
“Matter-of-factly, I do not dispute claims that Kwara Central has the largest voting strength today. However, a closer analysis reveals that these votes do not belong to ethnic Ilorin alone. Ilorin is the most urbanised part of Kwara, owing to its status as the capital and to population inflows driven partly by insecurity in other parts of the country, including the hinterlands of Kwara itself.
“This is not an indictment of anyone; it is a social reality across Nigeria. For instance, much of Ilorin South’s population is not made up solely of indigenous Ilorin people. Many densely populated areas are inhabited by Kwarans from the South, North, and non-Kwarans. The same is true of parts of Ilorin West, the state’s most populous local government, and to some extent Ilorin East. Any assessment of Ilorin’s voting strength must, therefore, account for these demographic realities while acknowledging the admirable tradition of Ilorin people investing in and building their community.
“This demographic mix differs from what obtains in Kwara North and, to a lesser extent, Kwara South. I say “to a lesser extent” because the most ethnically contiguous region in Kwara is the North, dominated by the Baruba/Bokobaru and Nupe peoples. That may be connected to their longstanding focus on agriculture and related vocations.
“Finally, the region with the greatest thirst for the Office of Governor is Kwara North. I believe it will deliver maximally for the APC as the ticket has been ceded to the region. Taking it away could trigger anger and protest votes. Do we really want such a shift from our most dependable region?
“Some may ask whom I personally prefer. That is a moot point at this stage. I may have had other choices. But primaries have been held, as elsewhere in the country, and winners have emerged in line with APC guidelines. The primaries in Kwara are no less credible than those conducted in Lagos or elsewhere. Claims that no primaries took place are merely attempts to discredit candidate Salihu Yakubu Danladi and others. This does not help our party, the President, or the Governor. The Speaker, though young, is as competent as any aspirant and has led the House successfully for seven years.
“Rather than campaigning to reverse the outcome of the primaries, I urge party leaders to bury the hatchet, embrace genuine reconciliation, seek fair accommodation, and work for victory once again. I believe the candidate himself recognises this necessity and has already begun reconciliation efforts. As I told him when he visited me shortly after his emergence as our flagbearer, he must continue engaging those who wish to hear from him. The Governor and the party leadership at the highest levels must seek to cool tempers. Further alteration of the current arrangement will only deepen divisions and reduce our chances of success. I do not believe that is the intention of the protesting leaders, and I therefore plead that we let sleeping dogs lie.
“If we fail to speak up for what is fair and just, providence may not give us another opportunity to redeem ourselves. Our children may someday ask what role we played in building a better society. For equity, cohesion, and long-term stability, Kwara North deserves a shot at Ahmadu Bello House now. There can hardly be a more auspicious time. I wish our party the very best.”
Making their own position on the crisis known, elders, stakeholders, ward chairmen and councillors of the APC in the state endorsed Danladi as the party’s 2027 governorship candidate.
Speaking to reporters in Ilorin, Moro Alaka Elders Chairman and party leader Alhaji Abdulraheem Ajibade said the APC’s primaries for various positions in the state were conducted in line with guidelines set by the party’s national leadership.
“After extensive consultations with stakeholders, community leaders, youth groups, women organisations, and party faithful, we hereby endorse Salihu Yakubu Danladi as a worthy successor capable of consolidating on the achievements of the current administration and sustaining the progressive agenda of our great party,” Ajibade stated
He said that Danladi’s emergence reflected the people’s choice, claiming that no formal complaint was filed by any co-aspirant after the Abuja delegation led by Senator Musiliu Obanikoro announced the results.
“We therefore advise members of the public to disregard misleading information capable of creating division within the party and undermining the collective efforts of progressives across the state,” Ajibade said.
Moshood Alaka, convener of the group, also declared support for President Bola Tinubu and Danladi’s governorship bid. He described the APC as the platform to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians and Kwarans.
Also, a group of youths within the party expressed their support for emergence of Danladi at the flagbearer and called for dialogues among all the stakeholders to resolve the crisis generated by his emergence so that the party goes with a united front to the poll next year.
The youths while reaffirming its support for the Prosperity Agenda of Governor Abdulrazaq and describing his administration as transformational and worthy of continuity beyond 2027 expressed confidence in ability of Danladi to consolidate the achievements of Abdulrazaq’s administration.
The youths who spoke under the aegis of the Coalition of Kwara APC Young Stakeholders (C-KAYS) urged the aggrieved aspirants and their supporters to embrace the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism to resolve the crisis over the outcome of the primaries
The coalition’s coordinator, Mallam Abiola Nasir, said Danladi-Salihu possesses the leadership qualities, competence, experience and grassroots appeal required to sustain the developmental strides recorded under the state Abdulrazaq.
“Danladi-Salihu possesses the character, competence, capacity and grassroots connections required to consolidate Governor Abdulrazaq’s achievements and advance the Prosperity Agenda to even greater heights,” Nasir said.
He explained that the coalition’s endorsement was informed by its belief that Danladi-Salihu would build on the developmental foundation laid since 2019.
Nasir appealed to party members dissatisfied with the outcome of the primaries to pursue dialogue and reconciliation rather than actions capable of undermining the APC’s unity.
He said that maintaining cohesion within the party was essential to preserving the gains of the current administration and positioning the APC for future electoral success.
The reported intervention of fontline traditional rulers in the matter has also been critised by the aggrieved aspirants. The traditional rulers were said to have appealled to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja to keep Danladi as the governorship candidate of the party. A report quoted a delegate of the traditional ruler thanking the president on Abuja for endorsing the choice of Danladi. The report further stated that the rulers said they were in full support of the governorship slot shifting to Kwara north and that they would calm the aggrieved aspirants on their opposition to Danladi.
But, the 10 apirants have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow the state’s traditional institution to be drawn into the party’s internal crisis over the emergence of its 2027 governorship candidate. The aspirants, who jointly wrote an open letter to the President, alleged that traditional rulers from the state were being “conscripted” for a visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja in what they described as an attempt to secure presidential backing for a candidate they claimed emerged through a flawed process.
In the letter addressed to President Tinubu, the APC aspirants said they remained opposed to what they described as “the unpopular selection of an aspirant as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 election.”
They wrote: “It has come to our attention that traditional rulers from Kwara State have been conscripted into a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The intent, sir, is transparent: to drape the royal stool in partisan robes and secure Your Excellency’s imprimatur for a selection process we have already denounced as flawed, exclusionary, and injurious to the democratic health of our party in Kwara.
The aspirants urged the President not to be persuaded into endorsing the process, insisting that the move could damage both the APC and the credibility of the traditional institution.
“We respectfully appeal to Your Excellency not to be swayed,” they stated.
They further argued that imposing a candidate without sufficient grassroots support could negatively affect the party’s chances in the 2027 elections.
“We wish to reaffirm, in the strongest terms, our staunch opposition to the imposition of an aspirant who lacks the credibility, grassroots support, and electoral value to deliver victory for our great party, the APC, in Kwara State — let alone contribute to Your Excellency’s success at the Presidential elections in 2027
“A weak and rejected candidate on the ballot in Kwara will depress turnout, demoralise the base, and hand the opposition an avoidable lifeline. We will not be complicit in that self-sabotage,” the letter read.
The aspirants also criticised the alleged involvement of traditional rulers in the controversy, saying the institution should remain above partisan politics.
“The throne of our royal fathers is not a rubber stamp for an unpopular selection. We know that our royals are the custodians of culture and fathers to all Kwarans — APC and non-APC alike. To repurpose them as validators of an intra-party process that ten aspirants have disowned is to strip the palace of its moral authority and to set a precedent that will haunt the APC and the traditional institution long after 2027,” the said.
The group raised concerns over what they described as misplaced priorities, questioning why traditional rulers were not mobilised to Abuja during security challenges affecting communities in the state.
They stated: “When bandits turned Baruten, Kaiama, Patigi, and Edu into killing fields — and when the same wave of terror ravaged Ifelodun, Irepodun, and Isin, culminating in the gruesome killing of a traditional ruler by bandits — no delegation of royal fathers was mobilised to the Villa.”
“Not to share intelligence. Not to propose solutions. Not to demand protection for their people and their stools. The throne could not be ‘packed’ to Abuja when its own was murdered. Yet it is now roadworthy for a partisan errand?”
The aspirants also acknowledged federal appointments given to Kwarans by the Tinubu administration but questioned why traditional rulers were not taken to the Villa for appreciation visits over such appointments.
They said: “We acknowledge, sir, that you have honoured Kwara with federal appointments: GMD of NNPC, Hon. Minister of Justice & Attorney General, DG of NOA, among others.Yet the record shows that our royal fathers were not packed to Abuja for a thank-you visit to Your Excellency for these appointments.”
They added: “The bitter irony, Mr. President, is this: the stool could not travel to thank you for elevating Kwarans, but it can now be dragged in full regalia to Abuja for a clearly unworthy visit — to pressure you into endorsing an unpopular and unacceptable hand-picked aspirant.”
The group further questioned whether the traditional institution would also intervene in the crises affecting opposition parties in the state if it was now being used as a political mediator.
“Having now established that royal fathers can be conscripted for partisan pilgrimage to Abuja, we ask: Will they also be mobilised to resolve the flagbearer crises currently rocking the Labour Party, PDP, ADC, and SDP in Kwara?” they asked.
“If the palace has become a chartered service for intra-party disputes, let it be so declared. But if it is reserved only to launder APC’s unpopular selection, then the desecration is complete.” The aspirants appealed to President Tinubu to receive the royal fathers with respect but resist any attempt to use the visit to validate the disputed process.
Their demands included that the President should “receive our royal fathers with the full dignity of their office — as fathers of the state, not as lobbyists for a contested selection,” and “refuse, publicly and unequivocally, to confer Presidential endorsement on a process that ten APC aspirants have formally rejected as a charade.”
They also urged the President to ensure that the traditional institution was protected from partisan interference and that the APC in Kwara returned to what they called a credible and inclusive process.
“Mr. President, the APC in Kwara can still be saved from implosion. But not if the throne is sacrificed to legitimise what the grassroots have rejected. The palace belongs to the people. Not to a selection,” they said.
However Danladi has been presented the governorship nomination form of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the APC and this seems to indicate that he has been confirmed the candidate of the party for the state governorship election in 2027.
While presenting the nomination form to Danladi on Tuesday June 30, the state chairman of the party, Sunday Fagbemi, hinted that the National Working Committee of the party has released the name of the speaker as the winner of the contest after complaints of the Aggrieved aspirants have been brought before it and the appeal committee.
Fagbemi, said it was imperative for his executive organ to present the winner the nomination form to fill and submit to the INEC, following the ratification of his victory at the primaries by the APC National Headquarters.
“Before now, we have conducted the primaries. There have been winners for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, the Senate and the Gubernatorial, but the National Headquarters of our party said we should not announce,”
“The National Working Committee of our party has gone through all the processes, especially those that have complaints. People who had complaints have ventilated their complaints to the Appeal Committee who have equally gone through them. So, NWC has come out with the candidates. And It is now our duty to give them the forms to fill so that they will be uploaded to the INEC portal. This is what we have done in the office.
“The one that we are unveiling here today is that of the gubernatorial candidate, who is Rt. Hon Yakubu Salihu Danladi. So, on behalf of the National Chairman of our party, I am handing this form over to our candidate,” he stated.
In his reaction, Danladi thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Abdulrazaq, and the leadership of the party both at the National and state level for their support and trust to fly the flag of the party in the 2027 general elections.
He also thanked the co-contesters for their participation and promised his readiness to carry them along.
“We thank God Almighty, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the National Chairman of our party. We also thank the leader of the party in the state, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the state executives and other major stakeholders of the party.
“There are reconciliations going on already as is usual with party primaries. Sixteen of us who contested know that a winner must emerge and a winner has emerged and it is now left for us to carry everyone along and we will definitely do that.
“By His grace, APC is one family, and we are going to be more united and much stronger. We thank all Kwarans. We will not disappoint you and God Almighty will guide us,” he stated.
The brief event was attended by members of the state House of Assembly, cabinet members, party executives, elders, and women groups.
Observers are of the view that the APC will face a Hercullian task to succeed in the post primaries reconcilation of the aggrieved aspirants with the candidate and the party. This is because of the prevailing opinion that aspirants considered as enjoying more popularity and controlling larger supporters than Danladi within the party have been denied the ticket.
Before Danladi was confirmed as the candidate, it was being said that the aspirants were demanding certain concessions to make them stop their opposiition. They reportedly alleged that Governor Abdulrazaq wanted to have it all by picking candidates for all the seats including governorship, deputy governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly seats. They were said to have complained that they could not involve in the o to ge movement that ended the reign of a dynasty only to be encountering another dynasty. They reportedly demanded that the governor should either take governorship slot for his candidate and forfeit his own senatorial ambition and some other legislative seats or choose these seats and forfeit the governorship.
In 2023 the APC won as it won in 2019 during the o to ge movement as the party repeated the feat of winning all the seats contested which are the governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly seats despite that it appeared that the party was no longer popular as it was in 2019. The party won as it remained united with the governorship ticket causing no controversy as Abdulrazaq, as the incumbent, had the ticket easily conceded to him. However, the party is facing a different situation now where there was serious contest for the ticket by as many as 16 apirants with 10 of them kicking against the choice of the aspirant that emerged the candidate. With this situation, the party seems to have a big challenge to surmount n its preparation for the 2027 election.
