A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Titilope Anifowoshe, has warned the party not to interpret recent defections to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a sign of total collapse, while urging leadership to address internal grievances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in an interview with Legit.ng, Anifowoshe described the political situation in Kwara as more layered than a simple APC-versus-PDP contest. She acknowledged that several lawmakers and party members have crossed to the PDP, with grassroots defections recorded in parts of the state, including the governor's political ward and Offa.
Defections: A Warning, Not a Collapse
Anifowoshe stressed that these developments should not be dismissed. "A serious political party must listen when members are unhappy," she said. "APC must be honest enough to acknowledge where it has internal problems and courageous enough to fix them."
However, she cautioned against assuming that every defecting politician automatically takes their voters along. "In Nigerian politics, politicians move. Voters sometimes don't," Anifowoshe said. "That distinction will become very important in 2027."
Wike's Allegations and the 2027 Calculation
On the public accusations made by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike against Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Anifowoshe described the situation as "politically fascinating." Wike had claimed that the governor was championing a campaign against him and connected that dispute to the movement of aggrieved APC politicians.
Anifowoshe said she would separate Wike's allegations from established facts, noting that they remain his claims and that the governor deserves an opportunity to respond. She added that Wike's position makes one thing clear: he intends to play an active role in shaping the 2027 political structure, while maintaining that his broader goal is President Bola Tinubu's re-election.
APC Told to Reconcile and Reorganise
Anifowoshe said the 2027 contest in Kwara goes beyond party rivalry and involves a deeper struggle over who controls the state's political machinery, who manages succession, and who emerges as the next generation of leadership. She warned that personal disagreements among politicians must not be allowed to overshadow the party or the President's national agenda.
Her message to the APC in Kwara was direct: "Reconcile. Reorganise. Listen. Don't underestimate anybody. Don't take the electorate for granted. And don't confuse political structures with genuine public support."
She also urged party leaders not to respond to every internal disagreement with exclusion, arguing that a strong party is one where differences can be managed without damaging the institution itself.
"Kwara belongs to its people, not to any political dynasty, governor, minister, senator or party faction," she said. "I want APC to win. But I want us to win because we have earned the confidence of the people, not merely because we have the machinery."
In her full statement, Anifowoshe elaborated: "Kwara is entering a very interesting political season, and I think people should resist the temptation to interpret every defection as the collapse of APC. Yes, there are internal tensions. Yes, some lawmakers and party members have moved to the PDP. There have also been reports of grassroots defections in parts of the state, including the governor's political ward and Offa. Those developments should not be dismissed."
She added: "We cannot allow personal disagreements among politicians to become bigger than the party and bigger than the President's national project. If somebody was elected on the APC platform and subsequently becomes dissatisfied with the party, there are constitutional and political mechanisms for addressing that. But there is also a moral question: what responsibility does a politician have to the platform through which he or she obtained political power?"
Anifowoshe concluded: "2027 is still a political lifetime away. The smartest people in politics are not necessarily those making the loudest declarations today. They are those quietly building relationships, repairing bridges and understanding what the people actually want. And that, ultimately, is where the Kwara election will be won or lost."
