..Emir Backs Party Candidates
By Demola Akinyemi
ILORIN — The crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) intensified on Monday as aggrieved party leaders, including Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru, and Senator Saliu Mustapha, warned that the party risks losing the 2027 general elections in the state unless President Bola Tinubu intervenes.
The warning came as the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, publicly endorsed the party’s governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates, describing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as a leader of integrity whose performance deserves support.
The development followed two days of rival demonstrations in Ilorin over the outcome of the APC governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly primaries.
While supporters of the party’s candidates staged a solidarity rally on Sunday, members of the G-15 group, comprising aggrieved governorship aspirants and serving National Assembly members, held a separate protest on Monday, rejecting what they described as the imposition of candidates by the state leadership.
The protesters appealed to President Tinubu and the APC national leadership to intervene, warning that failure to resolve the internal crisis could cost the party victory in the 2027 elections.
Speaking after the protest at the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru, said the demonstration was aimed at protecting the political legacy of President Tinubu in Kwara State.
“We are here because we want to protect the legacy of President Bola Tinubu. He has done so much for Kwara State. If we are not careful, there will be midnight for APC in Kwara State. That is what we are trying to prevent,” Ashiru said.
He added that APC had become part of the political identity of many party faithful in the state and urged the President to intervene before the crisis escalates.
Also speaking, Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central and was among the governorship aspirants, said the protest reflected widespread dissatisfaction among stakeholders over the conduct of the party primaries.
“We are protesting because we are not happy with the way the party’s leadership handled the process that produced the candidates. We are not against anyone, but the process lacked fairness and inclusiveness. We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restore equity within the party,” he said.
Another governorship aspirant, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, accused the state leadership of sidelining key stakeholders in the decision-making process.
He said party elders and critical stakeholders across the three senatorial districts were excluded from consultations leading to the primaries.
“We want an inclusive party where every stakeholder has a sense of belonging. What we witnessed was imposition, and that is why we are asking the national leadership, especially President Tinubu, to intervene,” he said.
Governorship aspirant Ambassador Yaya Seriki also appealed to the President to resolve the crisis, insisting that party unity was essential for APC’s electoral success in the state.
Meanwhile, thousands of APC members and supporters marched to the palace of the Emir of Ilorin to seek royal blessings for the party’s candidates.
The delegation, led by the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, included the party’s governorship candidate and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as well as the party’s senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates.
Addressing the delegation, the Emir of Ilorin praised Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership and expressed confidence in the party’s candidates.
“Whoever sees good things and chooses not to acknowledge them is being insincere. Governor AbdulRazaq has performed well. Starting from the Governor to all the candidates, may God grant you electoral success and may you not be put to shame,” the monarch said.
Responding, the APC governorship candidate, Danladi-Salihu, acknowledged the grievances within the party but assured members that reconciliation efforts were already underway.
“Democracy is about the aggregation of interests. A reconciliation committee has been established, and I am confident it will ensure justice and strengthen unity within the party. Together, we will continue to support Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and President Bola Tinubu to move Kwara and Nigeria forward,” he said.
State APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the candidates emerged through primaries conducted by the party’s national headquarters in accordance with APC guidelines, urging members to remain united ahead of the 2027 general elections.
