Consensus Imposition of Mining Magnate Seriki As Governorship Candidate By The Governor Threatens Gradual Implosion in Kwara APC

Consensus Imposition of Mining Magnate Seriki As Governorship Candidate By The Governor Threatens Gradual Implosion in Kwara APC

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The culture of consensus which has enveloped the All Progressive Congress (APC) party in kwara is threatening the very unity among party stalwarts even as some aspirants have vowed to oppose any imposition of candidates by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

Trouble actually started when Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, initiated underground moves to anoint the controversial mining magnate, Abdulfatah Seriki-Gambari, popularly known as “Yahaya Seriki”, as his preferred candidate to replace him ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Political watchers in the state have hinted that the move is already generating anger and tension with influential stakeholders and other aspirants engrossed in fierce internal battles over the control of the party and what they described as the faulty succession moves by the governor despite having an array of more experienced aspirants equally eager to throw in their hats into the ring for the coveted office.

However, this 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 hinted 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 last weekend.

A notice for an emergency meeting circulated to Governorship aspirants last week signed by the Kwara APC Publicity Secretary, Abdulwaheed Babatunde, fixed the meeting for 12 noon last Thursday at the Kwara State Banquet Hall in Ilorin.

With this development, sources close to the government house say that some of the aspirants expected to step down include: Yakubu Danladi; Engr. Olufemi Sanni; Maliaha Ahman-Pategi; Muhammed Belgore and Ahmad Mahmud.

Another source hinted though sadly that many of the aspirants now expected to withdraw from the race were originally encouraged by Governor Abdulrazaq himself to join the contest to create a level of legitimacy for Seriki’s emergence.

It is believed that some stalwarts in the party had earlier accused some forces of narrowing the search for the APC governorship ticket to aspirants from Kwara Central Senatorial District to please certain people who believe it’s there right to stay in power for over 20 years without making way for the other senatorial zones.

They also believe that a large chunk of northern and southern kwara have been taken over by banditry and chaos as such they may not be able to contest against what they described as the central district’s perceived electoral advantage over the rest of the state.

Over 20 traditional rulers and subjects have moved out of their domains to safe havens in the south and Northern zones of kwara making their political strength weakened to a dangerous level of submission to the will of the Governor.

Consensus Imposition of Mining Magnate Seriki As Governorship Candidate By The Governor Threatens Gradual Implosion in Kwara APC