Kwara: 10 APC governorship aspirants stage protest against AbdulRazaq

10 Kwara APC gov aspirants protest against AbdulRazaq

A coalition of governorship aspirants and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State on Monday staged a massive solidarity rally in Ilorin, protesting what they described as the party’s exclusionary leadership style.

They also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the affairs of the state chapter.

The rally came a day after candidates of the party staged a thank-you rally across Ilorin on Sunday, thanking the people for their support and appreciating President Bola Tinubu.

The party has been split since the primaries held in May, as some of the contestants accused the state leadership of the party of handpicking candidates, instead of conducting free and fair primaries.

Operating under the platform of the Kwara APC G15, the coalition, on Monday, declared what it called the relaunch of the Otoge movement, insisting that the ideals that ended the Saraki political dynasty’s dominance of the state in 2019 had been abandoned under the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

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, the party’s elders caucus, youth and women leaders, and other stakeholders.

Among those present at the rally were Dr Bashir Bolarinwa, Amb Yahaya Seriki, Dr Yahaya Oloriegbe, Lola Ashiru, Umar Suleiman Sadiq, Chief Dele Belgore (SAN), Alhaji Tajudeen Audu, Omar Mohammed Bio, Dr Oluwatoyin Alabi, Dr Azeez Salako, Capt Ahmad Mahmud, Yinka Aluko and Ismail Tijani, among others.

Thousands of party supporters participated in the procession, which moved through major parts of Ilorin before terminating at the Post Office area, where the coalition addressed journalists and supporters.

The 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,” among others.

Addressing journalists after the rally, the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District and one of the frontline governorship aspirants, Saliu Mustapha, said the protest reflected widespread dissatisfaction among party stakeholders over the management of the APC in the state.

“It has been a spontaneous rally featuring key stakeholders who are card-carrying members of the APC protesting for one single reason.

“We are not very happy with the kind of leadership that has bedevilled us in the state in recent times in terms of party structure,” Mustapha said.

He explained that the coalition was rejecting what it described as the endorsement of a preferred governorship candidate without adequate consultation among stakeholders.

“We are protesting with this march so as to register our rejection of whatever processes and the way and manner the so-called leadership of the state has endorsed a particular candidate.

“We are not saying that we don’t like anybody. What we are saying is that the process and the manner in which it was arrived at is unacceptable.”

Mustapha maintained that fairness, equity and consultation were necessary to preserve the unity and electoral strength of the APC in Kwara.

“As stakeholders, we believe that if there must be equity and fairness, then we should all have some form of consultation, a sense of belonging, and for all of us to arrive at a just conclusion so we can retain the glory we have enjoyed in the APC nationally.”

He added that the rally was driven by the collective interest of the party rather than personal ambition.

“We are not doing this rally out of selfishness, but because we believe APC has better opportunities in this state and we have much to give. That is why we are registering our dismay.

“It is not an individual decision, but rather a collective one. By the time all the stakeholders meet, we will make a decision.”

In a joint statement issued after the rally, the coalition disclosed that it had recently concluded consultations in Abuja with senior APC stakeholders and other national leaders over developments in the state 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 Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We have come to the firm conclusion that we owe it to our supporters, to the people of Kwara State, and to generations yet unborn to subordinate our individual political aspirations to one collective ambition: the rescue of our party and the rescue of Kwara State,” the statement read.

The coalition argued that the Otoge movement was founded on the principles of inclusion, justice, accountability and opposition to political domination, but alleged that those ideals had gradually been eroded.

“Sadly, this is not the Kwara State we all bargained for. This is not the Kwara State we promised our people during the Otoge Revolution,” it stated.

The group further alleged that governance and party administration had become increasingly centralised, insisting that the state deserved a more inclusive leadership that accommodated differing opinions.

It consequently urged President Tinubu and the National Working Committee of the APC to ensure that the leadership and succession process in Kwara reflected the wishes of the majority of party members.

The coalition also presented a 10-point demand, calling for the rejection of what it described as flawed party primary processes, a demand for 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.

It also rejected what it described as attempts by a minority within the party to impose its preferences on the majority.

“Democracy derives its legitimacy from the consent of the majority, not from the preferences of a select few,” the coalition stated.

Speaking separately, former Kwara APC Chairman and governorship aspirant, Bolarinwa, said the grievances of the coalition centred on the conduct of the party’s primaries and the alleged exclusion of critical stakeholders from decision-making.

“When we’re talking about process, we are talking of the primary process, starting from the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship.

“What we are saying is that there should be inclusiveness and there should be a situation where every stakeholder is carried along,” Bolarinwa said.

He said several prominent leaders who played key roles in the emergence of the APC government in 2019 had been sidelined.

“We have photographs with our elders who are within the age range of 80 years and above. In the state APC, we have only three former senators and all of us are here. None of us was carried along.

“We have people who fought for APC to emerge in 2019. More importantly, we have a leadership that doesn’t carry anybody along as far as party structure, governance and the primary is concerned.

“That is why all of us have come together to say that we have to rescue our party,” he said.

Bolarinwa said the coalition was expecting the President and the national leadership of the APC to intervene before the crisis deepened.

“We expect appropriate intervention from the leadership of the party, starting from Mr President, and we hope it will happen. Whatever it is, collectively we shall get to it.

“We thank our father, President Bola Tinubu. We have shown him our strength that Kwara APC is one family, and we believe in his leadership.

“We are here because we want to protect the legacy of President Bola Tinubu. We are facing a situation that, if we are not careful, there could be a midnight coup in the APC in Kwara State, and that is what we are trying to prevent,” he added.

They appealed to the President to consider their concerns and allow a transparent process that would produce an acceptable governorship candidate.

“We are calling on Mr President to listen to our reasonable voices. What we are saying is for the protection of the party and the people of Kwara State.

“All of the aspirants are competent. We want Mr President to choose one of us, and whoever emerges is the person we will all support.”

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Kwara APC, on the same day, presented its 2027 candidates to the Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, for royal blessings, with the delegation led by the state chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi.

The Emir praised Governor AbdulRazaq’s performance and prayed for the electoral success of the governor and all APC candidates.

“The governor has performed well… God will grant you all electoral success,” he said.

Speaking during the visit, Fagbemi said the party’s candidates emerged through primaries conducted by the national secretariat, in line with its guidelines and sought the Emir’s blessings for their victory in the 2027 general elections.

Responding to concerns over internal party grievances, the APC governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, described democracy as “an aggregation of interests” and assured that the party’s reconciliation committee would carry all stakeholders along.