Ilorin, Kwara state - A fresh crack has emerged within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state after a powerful caucus of party elders rejected the emergence of Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu Danladi, as the party's governorship candidate and accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of failing to give President Bola Tinubu an accurate picture of political realities in the state.
The Kwara APC Elders Caucus, speaking at a press conference in Ilorin on Monday, June 15, warned that the party risked losing the state in the 2027 governorship election if concerns over Danladi's candidature were ignored.
The intervention exposes growing tensions within the APC in a state regarded as one of the party's strategic strongholds, with senior figures openly challenging decisions they believe could weaken the party's electoral prospects.
Kwara 2027: Elders Raise Alarm Over Party's Direction
The chairman of the caucus, Sir (Dr.) Chief James Bamisaiye Ayenioye, said the group decided to speak out after exhausting internal channels and watching what it described as a dangerous drift within the party.
Other members of the caucus include former lawmakers and senior party figures representing the state's three senatorial districts, among them Senator Mohammed Ahmed, Senator Makanju Ajadi and Salman Jawondo, SAN.
According to Ayenioye, the caucus deliberately set aside personal preferences and focused solely on what it believed would secure the APC's future in Kwara.
"We do not believe that the purported emergence of Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi as the APC governorship candidate represents the strongest political option available to the party at this critical moment," he said.
The elders stressed that their opposition was not personal but based on what they described as concerns about Danladi's ability to unite the party and attract broad voter support across the state.
'Governor Ought to Have Told the Truth'
The caucus directed some of its strongest criticism at Governor AbdulRazaq, arguing that the state's political mood had not been properly communicated to the APC leadership in Abuja.
They said the governor, as leader of the party in Kwara, should have provided President Tinubu and national party leaders with a more realistic assessment of internal sentiments and electoral challenges facing the APC.
"Respectfully, we believe that the Governor of Kwara state, as leader of the party, ought to have honestly provided a more realistic assessment of the political situation in the state to the national leadership of the APC and to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu," the elders said.
The group warned that the future of the APC should not be sacrificed for personal ambitions or political calculations.
Concerns Over Candidate Selection Process
The elders also questioned the process that produced Danladi as the party's candidate, alleging that several stakeholders, including aspirants, party elders and senior office holders, were excluded from key decisions.
They claimed attempts were being made to project Danladi as more popular than he actually is and argued that endorsements and media campaigns surrounding his emergence did not accurately reflect public sentiment.
According to the caucus, political dynamics in Kwara have changed significantly, with opposition parties becoming more organised and capable of mounting a serious challenge to the APC's hold on power.
The group cautioned against assuming that the party could automatically retain the governorship regardless of who flies its flag in 2027.
Appeal to Tinubu, APC Leadership
The elders called on President Tinubu, APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and members of the party's National Working Committee to review developments in Kwara and engage more broadly with stakeholders before making final decisions.
Despite their criticism, the caucus reaffirmed its loyalty to Tinubu and pledged support for his Renewed Hope Agenda and expected re-election bid.
The elders maintained that their intervention was intended to protect the party from what they described as an avoidable political mistake.
"Our intervention should not be seen as an act of rebellion but as an act of responsibility," the caucus said. "We speak because we believe the APC can still avoid a costly mistake."
The public disagreement highlights deepening divisions within the Kwara APC, nearly a year before preparations for the 2027 electoral cycle are expected to intensify, raising fresh questions about party unity in a state that has remained under APC control in recent years.
