Kwara APC Elders Back Danladi’s Governorship Candidacy, Dismiss Criticism as Mischief, Envy
Sunday Ehigiator
A group of elders and stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State rallied behind the party’s governorship candidate, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu Danladi, declaring that he emerged from the party’s primary election through a transparent process and remained the most popular aspirant across the state.
The stakeholders, from the three senatorial districts of the state, also dismissed recent criticisms of Danladi’s emergence, describing them as products of “mischief and envy” by supporters of aspirants who lost at the APC governorship primary.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin yesterday, the group, led by Chairman of the Lower River Niger Basin Development Authority, Mallam Lateef Alakawa, said the May 22 governorship primary was peaceful, credible, and supervised by a committee sent from the APC national headquarters and chaired by former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Among those present at the briefing were Ambassador Nurudeen Mohammed, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, Alhaji Mustapha Kobe, Mallam Abdulrazaq Lawal, Hon. Adamu Sabi, Lawyer Kayode Towoju, Mallam Sadu Salahudeen, Dr. Wasiu Tejidini, Lawyer Bamidele Aluko, members of the Kwara State House of Assembly, all 16 APC local government chairmen, council chairmen, and other party stakeholders.
Delivering a prepared speech, Alakawa said, “The general public is aware of the fact that our party held its primaries for all the elective offices, including the governorship ticket, in a peaceful atmosphere. The results of the governorship primary were announced by the chairman of the panel that was sent from Abuja to conduct the exercise, Hon. Musiliu Obanikoro, in the presence of all loyal party members at the Banquet Hall along Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin.”
He stated that Danladi emerged winner of the exercise and none of the defeated aspirants had formally challenged the outcome.
Alakawa said, “The governorship primary that was held on May 22, 2026 produced the incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as winner.
“Since that time, none of the other gubernatorial aspirants has raised a complaint on the outcome of the exercise. And as a team player, the APC gubernatorial candidate has since extended the hand of fellowship to his co-contestants.”
According to the stakeholders, Danladi has also embarked on consultations with traditional rulers and key political figures across the state, receiving their blessings and assurances of support ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Highlighting the speaker’s credentials, Alakawa described him as an experienced politician and a youth leader with widespread grassroots appeal.
He stated, “The credentials of Danladi-Salihu are in the public domain. Apart from being an engineer, he has garnered enough political experience as the state’s number three citizen in the last seven years. Our candidate is also a youth who enjoys the support of the mammoth youth population.”
The APC elders also defended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq against allegations that he imposed a preferred candidate on the party.
they said, “On the so-called elders’ disparaging comments on our leader, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, we want to clarify that the governor did not impose any gubernatorial candidate on the party.
“The governor allowed a free contest in the gubernatorial primary while he was not directly in charge of the conduct of the exercise. He, as a democrat, only accepted the outcome of the exercise which was adjudged peaceful, free and fair by those that supervised it.”
The group recalled that Obanikoro, while announcing the results of the primary, declared Danladi winner with 94,990 votes.
“From Central to North and South, party leaders, stakeholders and members turned up heavily to affirm the choice of Danladi-Salihu who polled more than 65 per cent of the total ballots,” Alakawa said.
He added that support for the speaker cut across the three senatorial districts, with strong backing from local government areas in Kwara North and Kwara South.
The stakeholders maintained that the results demonstrated Danladi’s overwhelming popularity within the party.
“The above illustration showed that Danladi-Salihu won the gubernatorial primary convincingly. What we expected of the so-called elders is to join hands with our governor and other stakeholders to ensure the victory of our governorship candidate and all other candidates of the APC at the poll,” the statement said.
The group accused critics of the process of acting against the interests of the party and the state.
it said, “The conduct of these elders has shown that they are not patriotic members of the APC and do not mean well for our dear Kwara State.
“We hold the opinion that every well-meaning party man will pray for a successor who will continue the good work of the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.”
Calling for unity within the party, the elders urged aggrieved members to accept the outcome of the primary and work towards retaining power for the APC in 2027.
They stated, “We want to assure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Kwara is an APC state and, In Shaa Allah, the governor and all other genuine stakeholders will deliver the state once again to the APC come 2027,” the group stated.
