The lingering crisis in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) deepened on Monday as 10 governorship aspirants and other key stakeholders staged a solidarity rally in Ilorin, protesting what they described as Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s exclusionary leadership style and calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
Operating under the platform of the Kwara APC G15, the coalition declared what it called the relaunch of the “O To Ge” movement, insisting that the ideals that brought an end to the Saraki political dynasty in 2019 had been abandoned under the current administration.
The G15 comprises 10 leading APC governorship aspirants, the state’s three serving senators, a majority of APC members in the National Assembly, members of the State House of Assembly, party elders, youth and women leaders, as well as other stakeholders.
During the rally, protesters carried placards bearing inscriptions such as, “Kwara APC is in danger,” “We reject Ramoni’s leadership,” “Ramoni is not bigger than the APC,” “Kwara rejects another godfather,” and “APC is not Ramoni’s private estate.”
Addressing journalists after the protest, Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District and is one of the frontline governorship aspirants, said the demonstration reflected widespread dissatisfaction among party members over the management of the APC in the state.
He described the rally as a spontaneous gathering of card-carrying APC members determined to rescue the party from what they called an exclusionary leadership style.
In a joint statement issued after the rally, the coalition disclosed that it had recently concluded consultations in Abuja with senior APC leaders and other national stakeholders over the growing crisis in the Kwara chapter of the party.
According to the group, the discussions focused on preserving party unity, safeguarding the future of Kwara politics and ensuring the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The coalition lamented that governance and party administration in the state had become increasingly centralised, arguing that Kwara deserved a more inclusive leadership that accommodates divergent opinions.
“Sadly, this is not the Kwara State we all bargained for. This is not the Kwara State we promised our people during the O To Ge Revolution,” the statement read.
The group consequently appealed to President Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to ensure that the party’s leadership and succession process in Kwara reflected the wishes of the majority of members.
It also presented a 10-point demand, including the rejection of what it described as flawed party primary processes, transparent and inclusive party administration, merit-based leadership succession, an end to political godfatherism, protection of dissenting voices, accountable governance, genuine reconciliation and an urgent review of the state’s security strategy.
Although, the Kwara APC leadership, on the same day, presented the party’s 2027 candidates to the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, for royal blessings.
The delegation, led by the state APC chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, received the monarch’s endorsement, with the Emir commending Governor AbdulRazaq’s performance and praying for the electoral success of the governor and all APC candidates.