The screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly disqualified more than 100 aspirants seeking to contest for seats in the Kwara State House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to a screening document titled 'ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) FOR THE NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2027 GENERAL ELECTION,' the affected aspirants were declared 'uncleared' by the party's screening panel.
The document, obtained by our correspondent, contained names of aspirants from several local government areas and constituencies across Kwara State. Many of them were marked 'UNCLEARED' by the panel.
Affected Aspirants from Various Local Government Areas
Among those listed were Rilwan Olawale Sulyman, Hauwau Alabi-Bashir, Ayinla Bolaji Abdulfatai, Afusat Nike, Issa Abubakar Al Fulani, Bello Aliu Olamilekan, and Jimoh Raheem Agboola, all from Ilorin South Local Government Area. Other affected aspirants included Yinka Suleiman, Mukhtar Abdulgafar Omotosho, Yahaya Duro Uthman Hambali, Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, Laaro Rasheed Oladimeji, and Bayero Yahaya from Ilorin West.
The list also featured several aspirants from Moro, Edu, Asa, and Baruten local government areas, including Wole-Oke Olayiwola, Oniwa Isiaka Funmilayo, Adetunji Iyiola Alabi, Yisa Gideon Shaba, Wonchiko Abdullahi, Job Diadia Jiya, Rukayat Sidiq, Adisa Jimoh Olanrewaju, Adamu Saidu, and Alhassan Saidu Bonni.
Mass Disqualification Fuels Consensus Move
Speaking with our correspondent, some party chieftains familiar with the screening process said the mass disqualification was part of efforts to pave the way for consensus candidates in various constituencies ahead of the party primaries.
A senior party source said, 'The party is trying to reduce unnecessary contests and ensure that consensus candidates emerge in most of the constituencies.'
The APC chieftain explained that many of the affected aspirants were screened out over alleged breaches of the party's constitution and guidelines. 'Most of those marked uncleared were disqualified due to issues relating to party regulations and constitutional requirements,' the source added.
Reactions Within the Party
The development has already generated reactions within the party, with some members expressing concerns over the transparency of the screening exercise and the possibility of internal disputes ahead of the 2027 elections.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State chapter of the APC had yet to issue an official statement regarding the disqualification of the aspirants.
Recall that the APC had screened 158 aspirants seeking to contest for the 24 seats in the Kwara State House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party leadership pledging a transparent and credible exercise.
The screening exercise, held on Monday, drew aspirants from the state's 16 local government areas as the party intensified preparations for the forthcoming polls.
Speaking before the commencement of the exercise, the chairman of the screening committee, Prof Success Musa, said the large turnout of aspirants reflected the growing popularity and acceptance of the APC in Kwara State. 'I learnt we have 158 aspirants for the House of Assembly alone. That is democracy. That is what APC represents. It is the leadership shown by the chairman and our governor,' he said.
