Kwara APC: Protest as Seriki’s supporters reject Danladi

Fresh crisis erupted within the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday as aggrieved party members staged a protest at the party secretariat in Ilorin.

They rejected the outcome of the governorship primary election conducted on Friday.

The protesters, who gathered under the umbrella of the Kwara APC Youth Forum, demanded the reversal of the primary results and called on the national leadership of the party to recognise Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as the authentic governorship candidate of the APC in the state.

The protest came barely 24 hours after the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, was declared winner of the governorship primary by the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee chaired by former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

Danladi had polled 94,990 votes to defeat Seriki, who secured 41,700 votes, while former APC state chairman, Dr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, came third with 22,118 votes.

However, the protesting APC members described the outcome of the exercise as unacceptable.

They insisted that the process did not reflect the genuine wishes of party faithful across the state.

Wielding placards with inscriptions such as “Kwara Women for AMBA 2027,” “Kwara Youths Reject Imposition,” “We Reject Obanikoro Fraudulent Results,” and “Give Us Back Our Mandate,” the protesters accused party leaders of manipulating the primary process.

The demonstrators also sang solidarity songs in support of Seriki, popularly known among supporters as “AMBA.”

Addressing journalists during the protest, Convener of the Kwara APC Youth Forum, Comrade Ayuba Bako Moroofdeen, alleged that the governorship primary was characterised by imposition, predetermined arrangements and suppression of the will of party members.

He said the outcome of the exercise had left many APC supporters disappointed and disillusioned.

“Yesterday’s APC governorship primary election in Kwara State has left thousands of party faithful deeply disappointed, shocked, and disillusioned.

“What should have been a transparent, credible and democratic process unfortunately turned into an exercise allegedly characterised by imposition, predetermined arrangements and the suppression of the genuine will of party members”, Moroofdeen said

He maintained that members of the youth forum would not accept the candidate announced by the Obanikoro-led committee as the true reflection of the wishes of APC members in the state.

“As youths who have worked tirelessly for the growth, stability and electoral successes of the APC across all wards and local governments in Kwara State, we categorically reject the outcome of the governorship primary,” he added.

Moroofdeen warned that the future and unity of the APC in Kwara could be endangered if members lose confidence in the internal democratic process of the party.

He accused unnamed political actors of sacrificing fairness and justice for personal ambition and political manipulation.

The youth leader insisted that Ambassador Yahaya Seriki remained the most popular and widely accepted governorship aspirant within the party.

“Without fear or hesitation, we boldly declare that the most acceptable, most popular, most experienced and most people-oriented aspirant in this race remains Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki Gambari,” he stated.

According to him, Seriki enjoys widespread support across the three senatorial districts because of his grassroots connections, philanthropy and longstanding relationship with party members.

“From the youths to the elders, from market women to community leaders, from students to artisans, the overwhelming support for Ambassador Yahaya Seriki across the state is visible, organic and undeniable,” he said.

Another protester, Mohammed Oladimeji Abdulrahman, called on the national leadership of the APC to reverse the outcome of the governorship primary and formally declare Seriki as the duly elected candidate of the party.

He described the process as disappointing and alleged that the outcome failed to reflect the actual preference of party members.

Also speaking during the protest, Mrs. Salamat Wolimoh, said many APC members viewed the governorship primary as predetermined.

She urged the leadership of the ruling party to “do the right thing” by recognising Seriki as the winner of the election.

Saturday’s protest is the latest development in the succession battle that has unsettled the Kwara APC in recent weeks.

The governorship contest had generated intense political tension following the initial endorsement of Seriki by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as his preferred successor.

The political equation, however, shifted dramatically before the final primary as Danladi emerged as the new consensus figure among influential stakeholders within the ruling party.

The primary election itself was initially suspended midway on Thursday amid reports of disagreements and consultations before the exercise was eventually concluded on Friday.

Despite the growing agitation from Seriki’s supporters, APC leaders in the state have continued efforts to rally members behind Danladi in order to prevent deeper divisions within the party ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)