The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership crisis has now extended to Kwara State, where two separate governorship primaries conducted by rival factions have produced parallel candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Parallel Primaries Yield Two Candidates
Last week Sunday, the PDP announced Kale Kawu Agaka as its governorship candidate. However, a faction loyal to the Turaki-led national leadership held its own primary on Sunday, nominating Alhaji Ladi Hassan as its candidate. Hassan emerged from the Kabir Turaki (SAN) faction, while Kale Kawu secured the ticket from the Abdulrahman Mohammed faction.
Fear of Legal Battles
Political analysts in the state have expressed concerns that the emergence of two candidates from the same party could lead to a prolonged legal and political battle over which ticket the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will recognize.
Party Secretary Speaks Out
Kayode Abdulrahman, the state secretary of the PDP in Kwara, alleged that the factional candidate was sponsored by non-PDP members to destabilize the party. He stated that Ladi Hassan obtained a nomination form and participated in the party's governorship primaries, where he lost. “For him to have gone to emerge as a governorship candidate in the fake PDP that’s not recognized by INEC speaks volumes. He must have been sponsored by people outside our party. But I assure you they can’t succeed,” Abdulrahman said.
Threat to Party Unity
Political observers warn that the split could severely undermine the PDP’s ability to present a united front in Kwara, a state the opposition is keen to reclaim. Party stakeholders and supporters are calling for urgent reconciliation, but with both factions digging in, attention is now turning to INEC and the courts to determine which candidate, if any, will legally represent the PDP in the 2027 governorship race.
Implications for Kwara Politics
The latest development is expected to have significant implications for the political landscape in Kwara State as preparations for the general elections gather momentum.
