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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Kwara APC Postpones Guber Primary; 8 Aspirants Withdraw, Back Governor's Choice

From ThisDay · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed its Kwara State governorship primary election from Thursday to Friday.
  • Eight aspirants have withdrawn from the race and pledged their support for Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, the anointed candidate of the state governor.
  • The postponement and withdrawals have led to a consolidation of the field, with the primary now contested among a reduced number of key aspirants.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has announced a postponement of its governorship primary election, shifting the exercise from Thursday to Friday. This decision, confirmed by the state party chairman Prince Sunday Fagbemi, comes as the national leadership of the party instructed the change, though details remain scarce.

Adding a significant twist to the electoral landscape, eight aspirants have withdrawn from the race. In a coordinated move, these individuals have declared their support for Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, who is reportedly the preferred candidate of the state governor. This consolidation of support significantly narrows the field and intensifies the contest among the remaining key contenders.

we don’t have details of the cancellation other than the fact that the team from national office came and instructed that the election holds tomorrow.(Friday)

· Prince Sunday FagbemiKwara State APC Chairman, confirming the postponement of the governorship primary election.

The aspirants who stepped down include notable figures such as Dr. Salako Muyideen Oluwatoyin, Captain Ahmad Mahmoud, Professor Wale Sulaiman, Dr. Mohammed Omar Bio, Dr. Toyin Alabi, Hajia Aisha Ahman Patigi, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi. Their withdrawal, announced just hours before the originally scheduled primary, signals a strategic realignment within the party.

From a Kwara State perspective, these developments are critical. The governor's influence in anointing a successor is a recurring theme in Nigerian politics, and this primary is a key indicator of the power dynamics within the APC. The withdrawal of multiple aspirants in favor of a single candidate suggests a concerted effort to ensure the governor's preferred choice secures the party's ticket. While supporters of the remaining aspirants, including Senator Saliu Mustapha, Alhaji Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, and Engineer Femi Sanni, remain vocal, the impact of these withdrawals will be closely watched as the primary now proceeds with a more defined set of contenders.

The APC Governorship Primary earlier scheduled to hold today, Thursday, 21st May 2026, has been postponed. The new date for the Governorship Primary is now Friday, 22nd May 2026. All aspirants, and party faithfuls are advised to take note.

· Alhaji Abdulwaheed Olawale BabatundeState party's publicity secretary, issuing a statement on the postponement of the governorship primary.
About this summary

Originally published by ThisDay in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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