Kwara APC risks PDP takeover as chieftain warns governor's endorsements are now a curse

A prominent figure within Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has issued a stark warning: the party is losing ground and risks an "easy victory" for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming 2027 governorship election.

“

I said it recently that there is nobody Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq endorses in this state today that can win any election again. His endorsement has become a curse rather than a blessing, and that is exactly what is now playing out in Kwara.

Hon. Toyin Olosasa, an APC chieftain, expressed deep concern over the party's current political trajectory in an interview with Arewa PUNCH. He attributed the erosion of the APC's strength to internal party decisions and the leadership style of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Olosasa specifically criticized the emergence of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Danladi, as the party's governorship candidate, stating it has triggered widespread dissatisfaction and fractured party cohesion.

"I said it recently that there is nobody Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq endorses in this state today that can win any election again. His endorsement has become a curse rather than a blessing, and that is exactly what is now playing out in Kwara," Olosasa stated. He observed that instead of jubilation following the primary election, party members were mourning, indicating a significant disconnect between leadership decisions and the grassroots.

“

First, it is strange that Governor AbdulRazaq, who has destroyed party structures and alienated key leaders across the state, was still allowed to produce a successor.

Olosasa further accused Governor AbdulRazaq of mismanaging party structures and alienating key stakeholders, thereby weakening the party's mobilization capacity. He expressed surprise that President Bola Tinubu reportedly endorsed the process that produced Danladi, despite the evident dissatisfaction within the party ranks. The APC stalwart questioned the state of internal democracy within the party, suggesting that the current path could ultimately benefit opposition forces.

“

Secondly, the candidate that emerged is, in my opinion, an even worse version of the outgoing governor. To worsen matters, he is neither the most acceptable candidate from Kwara North nor the most popular politician within the APC across the state.