PDP Waiting for Opportunity to Take over Kwara, Says Ex-Envoy

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress and former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia, Amb. Olusola Ayeni, has warned that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party is waiting for the slightest mistake by the APC to reclaim power in Kwara State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mr Ayeni stated this on the sidelines of the Kwara South Stakeholders Summit held in Offa, where party stakeholders gathered to deliberate on the future of the APC in the state.

According to him, the APC’s chances of retaining power in Kwara would depend largely on the calibre of candidates it fields for the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.

He stressed that the ruling party risks losing the state if competence, credibility and grassroots popularity are sacrificed for personal, ethnic or religious considerations in the choice of candidates.

“The choice of candidates across all levels will determine whether the APC retains power in Kwara or loses it to the opposition,” Mr Ayeni said.

He warned that the opposition, led by former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, has continued to strengthen its structures across the state.

“The opposition are strategising day in, day out. They’re not resting. And they’re growing in leaps and bounds. Any slight mistakes from us and they’re back in power,” he said.

Mr Ayeni also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC to ensure that popularity, competence and broad acceptability guide the party’s decision-making process ahead of the elections.

“The President must be conscious of the advice he gets from people who come to him with religious, ethnic or even personal sentiments at heart. He must approach the Kwara issue with a lot of caution,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ilorin Emirate Political Advisory Council (IEPAC) has endorsed the reelection bid of President Tinubu and the governorship aspiration of Saliu Mustapha for the 2027 elections.

The National Secretary of the council, Lt. Col Abubakar Edun (rtd), disclosed this during an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Ilorin.

According to him, President Tinubu continues to enjoy considerable support across the three senatorial districts of Kwara State, adding that his candidacy would significantly boost the APC’s electoral fortunes.

“What the president has done for Kwara state in the last three years is virtually unprecedented in the history of the state,” he said.

Mr Edun further argued that the APC would approach the elections from a position of strength if both President Tinubu and Senator Mustapha emerge as candidates of the party.

“This is why the Ilorin Emirate Political Advisory Council found the two of them worthy of our endorsement. We are unequivocal about it, and there is no going back on it despite pressure to do otherwise,” he said.