Fresh cracks have emerged within the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress as the state’s three senators joined aggrieved governorship aspirants in rejecting the outcome of the party’s recent primaries, calling for urgent reconciliation to avert a deeper crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The lawmakers, under the aegis of the Kwara APC Senate Caucus, called for a review of the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primaries, reports The PUNCH.
This comes as a group of 10 governorship aspirants urged President Bola Tinubu to resist what they described as attempts to use the state’s traditional institution to secure endorsement for the party’s governorship candidate,Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.
In a communiqué issued yesterday after a joint session and signed by Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central), Oyelola Ashiru (Kwara South) and Sadiq Umar (Kwara North), the lawmakers said the party was passing through a critical period requiring urgent intervention.
The senators lamented what they described as the exclusion of legitimate stakeholders from key decision-making processes.
“The caucus observes an erosion of party cohesion. Legitimate stakeholders have been excluded from critical decision-making, breeding grievance where there ought to be consensus,” they said.
They also expressed concern over the conduct and outcome of the recent primaries.
“The recently concluded governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and state assembly primaries have generated avoidable controversy,” the senators stated.
The lawmakers added that the screening exercise for state House of Assembly aspirants particularly raised questions about fairness.
“Most disturbingly, approximately 70 per cent of sitting lawmakers were unable to clear the screening exercise for the state House of Assembly, an outcome that, on its face, cannot be reconciled with the principles of merit, fairness, and institutional memory,” the caucus noted.
To address the grievances, the lawmakers urged the state leadership of the APC and the National Working Committee to establish a reconciliation mechanism.
“We call upon the state APC executive, in concert with the National Working Committee, to constitute a high-level reconciliation committee with a clear 30-day mandate to reintegrate aggrieved and marginalised members,” they said.
The senators also called for a review of the screening and primary outcomes affecting experienced lawmakers and other aspirants.
“The appropriate organs of the party must revisit the disqualification of experienced incumbents across the Senate, House of Representatives, and state assembly, with due regard to proven capacity and demonstrated service,” they added.
Beyond internal party disputes, the lawmakers expressed concern over worsening insecurity across parts of the state.
“Deteriorating security remains a major concern. Rural banditry and kidnapping continue to undermine our agrarian economy and aggravate food inflation, demanding urgent and coordinated response,” the senators said.
They further recommended a comprehensive audit of party structures across the state’s 193 wards and 16 local government areas.
“A comprehensive audit must be undertaken across Kwara’s 193 wards and 16 local government areas to rebuild grassroots vitality, restore discipline, and shield our youth from vulnerability to criminal recruitment,” the communique read.
Calling for unity, the senators said: “This is a moment that calls for patriotism above factionalism, and the party above self. Kwara APC must emerge from this period stronger, broader, and more united.”
Their intervention comes as 10 governorship aspirants appealed to Tinubu to reject what they described as efforts to secure royal endorsement for Danladi-Salihu, who emerged the winner of the APC governorship primary held on May 22, 2026.
Danladi-Salihu emerged after polling 94,990 votes to defeat 14 other aspirants.
In an open letter dated Monday, June 22, 2026, the aspirants said they had received reports that selected first-class traditional rulers from the state were being mobilised to visit the Presidential Villa in Abuja over the 2027 governorship race.
“We have received credible information that some traditional rulers from Kwara State are being mobilised to visit the Presidential Villa in what appears to be an effort to legitimise and secure endorsement for a governorship candidate whose emergence remains controversial within our party,” the aspirants stated.
The letter was jointly signed by Dele Belgore (SAN), Amb Yahaya Seriki Gambari, Saliu Mustapha, Yahaya Oloriegbe, Dr Oluwatoyin Tajudeen Alabi, Alhaji Tajudeen Audu, Omar Muhammed Bio, Dr Bashir Bolarinwa, Capt Ahmad Mahmud and Dr Azeez Salako Olaniyi.
While reaffirming their loyalty to the APC, the aspirants insisted that internal democracy must not be compromised.
“We remain loyal members of our great party and are committed to supporting every genuine effort aimed at strengthening internal democracy, inclusiveness and unity within the APC.
“While we hold our revered royal fathers in the highest esteem and recognise their invaluable roles as custodians of our culture and tradition, we respectfully submit that traditional institutions should not be drawn into partisan political contests.
“The involvement of traditional rulers in efforts to validate the outcome of a disputed party primary risks eroding the neutrality and moral authority that have distinguished the institution over the years,” they said.
The aggrieved aspirants warned that such engagements could create a false impression of consensus within the party.
“We are concerned that a visit of this nature may create the false impression that the people and stakeholders of Kwara State are united behind a process that many party members consider flawed, exclusionary and inconsistent with democratic principles,” the letter read.
The aspirants said their earlier objections to the governorship primary remained unresolved.
“Your Excellency will recall that our concerns regarding the conduct of the governorship primary have been communicated through lawful and constitutional channels. Those concerns have not been addressed and remain a source of anxiety among party faithful across the state.
“It is, therefore, important that any engagement involving traditional rulers should not be interpreted as a reflection of the position of all stakeholders within the Kwara APC,” it added.
The aspirants also questioned the priorities behind the reported mobilisation of traditional rulers, citing insecurity in several communities.
“If royal fathers can be mobilised to Abuja in support of a governorship candidate, many citizens will naturally wonder why similar efforts have not been made to seek urgent federal intervention on the security challenges confronting communities in parts of Kwara State.
“Several communities in Baruten, Kaiama, Patigi, Edu, Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin local government areas have faced persistent security threats, yet we have not witnessed a similar high-level royal delegation to draw national attention to their plight,” the letter stated.
The group further noted that traditional rulers had not been similarly mobilised to appreciate federal appointments secured by Kwarans.
“Likewise, despite the numerous appointments and opportunities extended to Kwarans under your administration, there has been no coordinated mobilisation of traditional rulers to express appreciation to the Presidency,” it added.
They urged the president to receive any delegation of royal fathers with respect while avoiding political interpretation of such visits.
“We respectfully urge Your Excellency to ensure that the traditional institution remains insulated from partisan political activities and continues to serve as a symbol of unity, fairness and moral leadership.
“Our appeal is not borne out of hostility to any individual but from a commitment to democratic values, party cohesion and the long-term stability of the APC in Kwara State,” the letter concluded.
Meanwhile, an APC chieftain, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, urged traditional rulers to advise Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to step back from the succession dispute.
“Tell Gov AbdulRazaq to concede, tell him to back down. That alone can solve the current crisis in Kwara APC,” he said.
The crisis began during the screening of aspirants for the state House of Assembly elections, when more than 100 aspirants were disqualified, triggering protests and allegations of attempts by influential figures within the party to impose preferred candidates.
Although the APC leadership later reversed the decision and cleared all 159 legislative aspirants to participate in the primaries, controversy persisted and extended to the governorship contest, where Danladi-Salihu’s emergence has continued to face opposition from the G10 governorship aspirants and the Kwara APC Elders’ Caucus, deepening divisions within the ruling party ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
