By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin
ILORIN — Fresh crisis has engulfed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kwara State following the emergence of two factional governorship candidates ahead of the 2027 election.
The development has further exposed the widening rift within the party, with rival factions laying claim to the authentic governorship ticket.
While the faction loyal to former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, reportedly aligned with the camp of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, announced Engineer Kale Kawu Agaka as its consensus governorship candidate penultimate Sunday, another faction led by Mohammed Taminu Turaki has produced Alhaji Ladi Hassan as its flag bearer.
Speaking on the development, the Kwara State PDP Secretary, Kayode Abdulrahman, dismissed Hassan’s emergence, describing it as the handiwork of individuals seeking to destabilise the party.
According to him, Hassan had earlier purchased the PDP nomination form and participated in the party’s governorship primary election, where he was unsuccessful.
“For him to have gone to emerge as a governorship candidate in the fake PDP that is not recognised by INEC speaks volumes. He must have been sponsored by people outside our party. But I assure you they can’t succeed,” Abdulrahman said.
However, Hassan confirmed his emergence as the governorship candidate of the Turaki-led faction, stating that his candidature was affirmed during the faction’s primary election held in Abuja.
“Our primary took place in Abuja and I emerged through affirmation. That was what happened,” he said.
The emergence of parallel candidates has heightened concerns among party members and political observers, who fear the crisis could weaken the PDP’s chances of presenting a united challenge in Kwara State.
Observers warn that unless the dispute is resolved quickly, the party’s prospects in the 2027 governorship election could be severely undermined.
Party stakeholders and supporters have continued to call for reconciliation between the warring camps, but both factions appear determined to stand their ground.
Attention is now expected to shift to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and possibly the courts to determine which faction, and candidate, will eventually be recognised as the authentic PDP flag bearer for the 2027 governorship election in the state.
The latest development is expected to have far-reaching implications for the political landscape in Kwara as preparations for the general elections gather momentum.
