Kwara Governor Abdulrazaq Set To Unveil Mining Magnate Seriki As Preferred APC Governorship Candidate For 2027
The move is already generating fresh tension across the Kwara APC, where influential stakeholders and aspirants have remained locked in fierce internal battles over the control of the party and the succession plan being orchestrated by the governor despite having experience and professors among the aspirants.APC merchandise
Barring any last-minute change of plans, Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is set to officially unveil controversial mining magnate, Abdulfatah Yahaya Seriki-Gambari, popularly known as Yahaya Seriki, as his preferred governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite mounting opposition within the ruling party.
The move is already generating fresh tension across the Kwara APC, where influential stakeholders and aspirants have remained locked in fierce internal battles over the control of the party and the succession plan being orchestrated by the governor despite having experience and professors among the aspirants.
However, the latest development comes despite previous controversies surrounding Seriki’s mining activities in Kwara State, including calls by members of the Kwara State House of Assembly last year seeking the revocation of some of his mining licences over alleged irregularities and concerns raised by local communities.
Multiple high-ranking APC sources told SaharaReporters that the governor had already concluded arrangements to impose Seriki as the party’s consensus governorship candidate following a series of strategic meetings held in Abuja over the weekend.
A notice for an emergency meeting circulated to governorship aspirants on Wednesday and signed by the Kwara APC Publicity Secretary, Abdulwaheed Olawale Babatunde, fixed the meeting for 12 p.m. on Thursday at the Kwara State Banquet Hall in Ilorin.
However, insiders disclosed that the meeting was merely designed to legitimise a decision that had already been reached behind closed doors.
“At the meeting, the governor will officially present Yahaya Seriki and direct other aspirants to queue behind him,” a senior APC source told SaharaReporters.APC merchandise
“To create the impression of consensus, some of the aspirants will publicly announce their withdrawal from the race in support of the governor’s decision.”
According to sources familiar with the arrangement, some of the aspirants expected to step down include Hon. Yakubu Danladi; Engr. Olufemi Kolawole Sanni; Maliaha Aishatu Ahman-Pategi; Muhammed Dele Belgore, SAN; Ahmad Ibrahim Mahmud, among others.
Another source alleged that many of the aspirants now expected to withdraw from the race were originally encouraged by Governor Abdulrazaq himself to join the contest as part of a broader political calculation aimed at manufacturing legitimacy for Seriki’s emergence.
“Most of the people that will be stepping down are actually the governor’s proxies who he orchestrated to enter the race for strategic reasons,” the source alleged.
Some of them even had their nomination forms funded directly by the governor. The idea from the beginning was to create the illusion of broad participation before unveiling the preferred candidate.”
The unfolding succession battle has also intensified allegations that powerful forces within the Presidency are actively influencing the APC governorship selection process in Kwara State.
A group within the party had earlier accused top Abuja power blocs of narrowing the search for the APC governorship ticket to aspirants from Kwara Central Senatorial District because of what they described as the district’s perceived electoral advantage over Kwara North and Kwara South.
But aggrieved stakeholders rejected the move, insisting that the process was becoming an imposition rather than a democratic selection.
“This is no longer about allowing Kwara people to choose their best candidate,” one aggrieved stakeholder alleged.
“It is becoming about who the Presidency wants to impose on the people.”
“The Tinubu government has narrowed down its interest to Senator Saliu Mustapha and Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, while there are accomplished medical doctors of international repute, professors, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, technocrats and seasoned administrators in the race,” the stakeholder said.Nigeria travel guides
The stakeholder further questioned the competence and public image of some of the aspirants being promoted by influential political interests in Abuja.
“Why should Kwara be handed over to someone many people see as a glorified thug, a mushroom street urchin whose only credentials are being stinkingly rich and being close to the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu?” the source said.
“Why should Kwara end up with a so-called Senator who is not considered good enough to govern Lagos State where the President himself comes from?”
The stakeholder described the alleged succession arrangement as a “pre-arranged script” designed to favour individuals with deep political connections rather than those with proven administrative competence and public service records.
A recent internal assessment of the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections reportedly identified growing frustration among party loyalists over attempts by entrenched political interests to handpick candidates without meaningful consultations.APC merchandise
“You cannot continue to treat Kwara as politically inferior,” another APC member told SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, the crisis took another dramatic turn after the Kwara State APC Chairman, Sunday Fagbemi, openly warned aspirants and party members against opposing the outcome of the party’s selection process.
Speaking during a meeting with party stakeholders and aspirants at the APC state secretariat in Ilorin on Wednesday, Fagbemi declared that any form of resistance after the emergence of the preferred candidate would amount to anti-party activity.
“The moment the results are out, any form of antagonism from aggrieved aspirants has terminated our relationship,” Fagbemi said.
“Because Kwara must not go backwards.”
The APC chairman insisted that the party would not tolerate rebellion against its internal decisions, adding that the majority would always prevail over dissenting voices.
“Majority will have their way while minority will serve their interest,” he stated.
“In view of this, and knowing what the party is, you have been told that whether you are taking part or not, you have already paid into the party. You did not pay to the state party, you paid to the National, and the National is not refunding money.”
Fagbemi acknowledged the financial burden on aspirants who had already spent heavily in pursuit of their ambitions.
“I know this money is important to many of you. It is not a joke,” he said.
He added that Governor Abdulrazaq had graciously agreed to refund certain administrative fees paid to the state chapter of the party.
“The administrative fees that we charged in the party, we are refunding them to you,” he announced.
“We require those who submitted their names, telephone numbers, bank account details and receipts issued by the party to return them for processing, and you will get your money back.”
However, he warned that any aspirant or supporter who refuses to align with the party’s eventual decision would face consequences.
“Please, when the results are out, accept them,” Fagbemi said.
“Anybody being sponsored from outside the party that will not abide by the mechanism of resolving issues in the party should know that we have our eyes on everyone.”
“We have tabs on each one of you. We will monitor especially what you are doing in your various local governments and wards.”
The APC chairman further insisted that loyal party members who sacrificed their ambitions would eventually be compensated with appointments after the elections.APC merchandise
“When we win the coming election by the special grace of God, and it is not a question of if but when we win, there are more than 3,000 positions to be filled,” he declared.APC merchandise
“And you are just under 200 aspirants. None of you will lose out.”
He also accused unnamed critics and commentators of attempting to destabilise the APC in Kwara State.
“Don’t allow columnists to brainwash you into believing you can destabilise the party,” he warned.
“God has stabilised APC and nobody can destabilise APC.”
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