A youth group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the party leadership not to field the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi Salihu, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, warning that such a decision could jeopardize the party’s chances of retaining power in the state.
The group, which addressed journalists at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, argued that the party has several other capable and widely accepted aspirants who would stand a better chance of securing victory at the polls.
Speaking on behalf of the group, its leader, Segun Adewara, maintained that endorsing the Speaker would weaken the APC’s electoral prospects, insisting that the intervention was driven solely by concern for the party’s future in Kwara rather than opposition to the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
According to him, the APC must prioritise electability and public acceptance when choosing its governorship candidate if it hopes to maintain its dominance in the state.
The youth group stressed that the party’s ticket should be given to a candidate who can unite members and attract broad support across Kwara, warning against any move that could trigger internal divisions ahead of the election.
Political activities surrounding the 2027 governorship race have intensified as Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approaches the end of his constitutionally allowed second term. Although the APC has not officially begun its nomination process, several prominent figures have already been linked with the contest, fueling consultations and political lobbying within the party.
The APC has controlled Kwara State since the landmark 2019 elections, when the “Òtógẹ́” movement swept the party into power and ended decades of political dominance by the Saraki dynasty. Observers believe the party’s choice of candidate for the 2027 governorship election will play a decisive role in determining whether it can retain control of the state.
