Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the three senatorial districts of Kwara State have expressed readiness to support and abide by any consensus arrangement adopted by the leadership of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The stakeholders made this known on Thursday at a press briefing in Ilorin, the state capital.
Confidence in Party Leadership
At the media chat, the chieftains reaffirmed their confidence in the leadership of the party at both the state and national levels. The chairman and secretary of the Amalgamated APC Elders and Stakeholders Forum, Prof. Khalid Dasuki and Amb. Julius Balogun, respectively, said the elders and stakeholders would respect the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
They noted that the party leadership has demonstrated commendable foresight in Osun, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos States through consensus arrangements aimed at strengthening internal unity and cohesion. “We are proud of the proactive leadership being demonstrated by the president and the party in neighbouring states like Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos. We trust in the judgement and wisdom of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to safely, seamlessly and smartly navigate the affairs of our great party in Kwara State as well,” they said.
Historical Context
They recalled that it was the intervention and leadership of President Tinubu that helped stabilise the APC in Kwara ahead of the 2019 elections, leading to the emergence of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the eventual success of the ‘Otoge’ political movement. “The President already has a positive precedent with us here in Kwara. It was through his fatherly wisdom and superior leadership that the party was successfully navigated in 2019, producing our amiable Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. We are proud of the remarkable milestones achieved so far by the Governor, and we remain grateful for that historic and strategic decision taken in 2019,” they explained.
Call for Popular Candidate
The stakeholders further urged the party leadership to settle for a candidate who is widely popular, broadly acceptable, credible, competent, and capable of confronting what they described as the growing threat posed by the opposition in the state. “With the Otoge Revolution of 2019, Kwara State was liberated from the shackles of godfatherism, misgovernance and underdevelopment. The state cannot afford to go back to Egypt. Therefore, we jointly and collectively express our willingness, readiness and resolve to abide by the party’s consensus arrangement in Kwara State, just as has been done successfully in other states,” they added.
Mobilisation Commitment
The leaders added that party stakeholders across the state were prepared to mobilise thousands of APC members in support of whatever decision that is eventually taken by the leadership of the party. “We are fully committed to rallying party faithful across Kwara State behind this decision in order to ensure that the APC continues to retain the levers of power in the state beyond 2027,” they said.
