The travail of the Speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, who emerged as the All Progressives Congress party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections, has assumed another messier dimension as 10 aspirants involved in the primary election which produced him have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to wade into the crisis.
They warned that if the present trajectory is allowed to continue, the electoral success of the party in all the general elections, will be severely imperilled, as many stakeholders in the party will be left with no choice but to other political platforms to actualize their ambitions.
In a joint letter made available on Saturday addressed to the president, the aggrieved aspirants, drew the attention of the president to the grave and worsening situation in the state chapter of the party.
The letter read in part; “While we join in celebrating the milestones of your administration, we consider it imperative to draw
your urgent attention to the grave and worsening situation within our party in Kwara State.
“We do so with profound respect, but also with a deep sense of responsibility and concern for the future of the APC and the political legacy your leadership helped to shape in our state.
“Your Excellency will recall the historic Otoge movement, which culminated in the landmark victory of the APC in 2019. That victory was not the product of any single individual, but of a broad coalition of stakeholders, political tendencies, community leaders, party loyalists, and progressive forces united by a shared resolve to end political domination and restore democratic inclusion in Kwara State.
“We remain deeply appreciative of the role you played in supporting and guiding that struggle.
“Regrettably, the gains of that collective sacrifice have not been consolidated in a manner that reflects
the magnitude of the effort and expectations of our people.
“The individual who emerged as the principal beneficiary of that historic victory, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has, in our considered view, failed to provide the inclusive, broad-based, and unifying leadership required to sustain the coalition that brought our party to power.
“Over the past seven years, key stakeholders who devoted their resources, energy, and political capital to the building of the APC in Kwara state have been alienated, marginalized, or deliberately excluded
from meaningful participation in both government and party affairs.
“The result has been a steady weakening of the APC’s political strength in the state and a troubling resurgence of opposition elements. The support base of our party has been significantly diminished.
“In our firm assessment, Governor AbdulRazaq has lost the moral and political authority to determine the
future of the APC in Kwara State. His popularity has declined markedly, and there is widespread apprehension among party members and stakeholders that any candidate associated with his
endorsement may be seriously disadvantaged at the polls,” the aggrieved aspirants noted.
They warned that “in order to avert further damage and forestall a deeper crisis”, the president needs to take a sober and critical look at the developments in Kwara State, including the circumstances surrounding the announcement of results for primaries that did not hold, and intervene in the interest of the party’s survival.
The group further asked President Bola Tinubu to carefully review the records, capacities, loyalty, and statewide acceptability of the aspirants, with a view to making a decisive and unifying choice among the governorship aspirants.
” We are confident that among us is a leader capable of providing fresh
direction, restoring internal unity, rebuilding stakeholders confidence, strengthening the APC’s
support base, and working closely with Your Excellency as a reliable partner at the sub national level,” the group added.
End
