Ten governorship aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State have called on President Bola Tinubu to review governorship primary election and other primaries carried out recently 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, who form majority of the 16 aspirants that vied for governorship ticket under the party, insinuated that the aspirant who was chosen as the governorship candidate did not emerge either through proper election or consensus arrangement but by endorsement of the incumbent governor of the state, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
The governorship candidate is Engr. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, the speaker of the state House of Assembly who long before the primaries had been speculated to be the preferred choice of the governor as his successor.
The aspirants kicking against emergence of Danladi as the candidate include those who are considered as enjoying a broad base of supports within the party in the state.
The aspirants are Dr Oluwatoyin Alabi, Captain Ahmad Mahmud, Alhaji Tajudeen Audi, Dr Azeez Olaniyi, Yahaya Seriki Gambari, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Dr Bashir Bolarinwa, Hon. Omar Mohammed Bio, Barr. Dele Belgore and Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe.
They 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.