Kwara APC: AbdulRazaq’s Camp Heads to Abuja Over 2027 Guber Ticket crisis

The crisis within the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has taken a new turn as loyalists of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq prepare to meet with the party’s national leadership in Abuja over growing disagreements linked to the 2027 governorship race.

The meeting is expected to take place on Monday at the APC national headquarters, where members of the governor’s camp will present their position on the controversy surrounding the emergence of Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the party’s governorship candidate.

The development follows mounting opposition from several APC stakeholders in the state who have rejected Salihu’s emergence. A group of 10 governorship aspirants recently petitioned President Bola Tinubu, expressing dissatisfaction with the process that produced the Speaker and alleging that the exercise was influenced in his favour.

Before now, members of the party’s elders’ caucus, led by Chief James Bamisaiye, had also raised objections to Salihu’s candidacy. The group argued that the Speaker was being promoted by forces within the state government and called on the APC national leadership to step into the matter.

Sources familiar with the latest move disclosed that the governor’s delegation will be led by the state APC chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi. Other members of the team are said to include former PDP Secretary Razaq Lawal and the Chairman of the Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Alakawa, among other party figures.

According to insiders, arrangements were completed for members of the delegation to travel from Ilorin to Abuja aboard a chartered flight. The decision was reportedly taken to keep details of the trip away from public attention.

During the visit, the delegation is expected to hold discussions with the APC national chairman and members of the party’s National Working Committee. The team is also expected to meet with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, as part of efforts to secure backing for the governor’s position amid the growing dispute.

Supporters of Governor AbdulRazaq maintain that the APC in Kwara remains united and capable of resolving its internal disagreements. However, recent events have continued to fuel concerns among observers who believe the disagreement over the 2027 governorship ticket has exposed deeper divisions within the party.

The latest consultations in Abuja are expected to play a key role in determining how the ruling party manages the growing tensions ahead of the next election cycle in Kwara State.