A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia. Olusola Ayeni has warned that the party’s hold on Kwara State ahead of the 2027 general elections could be weakened if it fails to address internal strategic and candidate selection issues.
Ayeni gave the warning at the Kwara South Stakeholders Summit held in Offa on Thursday, where party leaders gathered to assess the APC’s political direction and electoral preparedness in the state.
He said the outcome of the 2027 elections would largely depend on the quality and acceptability of candidates fielded by the party across all levels of government.
“The choice of candidates across all levels will determine whether the APC retains power in Kwara or loses it to the opposition,” Ayeni said.
The former envoy cautioned that the ruling party risks losing ground if it allows personal interests, ethnicity, or religion to influence its decision-making process.
He also warned that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, led in the state by former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, remains active and strategically positioned to take advantage of any political missteps by the APC.
“The opposition is strategising day in, day out. They’re not resting. And they’re growing in leaps and bounds. Any slight mistakes from us and they’re back in power,” he said.
Ayeni urged President Bola Tinubu and the APC national leadership to ensure that fairness, competence, and broad acceptability guide the party’s selection process ahead of the elections.
“The President must be conscious of the advice he gets from people who come to him with religious, ethnic, or even personal sentiments at heart. He must approach the Kwara issue with a lot of caution,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ilorin Emirate Political Advisory Council (IEPAC) has endorsed President Tinubu’s re-election bid and the governorship aspiration of Saliu Mustapha ahead of the 2027 elections.
The council said its endorsement was based on what it described as the administration’s development strides in Kwara State.
“What the president has done for Kwara state in the last three years is virtually unprecedented in the history of the state,” said the council’s National Secretary, Kt. Col Abubakar Edun.
He added that the APC remains confident of victory if it maintains unity and presents strong candidates across the state.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia. Olusola Ayeni has warned that the party’s hold on Kwara State ahead of the 2027 general elections could be weakened if it fails to address internal strategic and candidate selection issues.
Ayeni gave the warning at the Kwara South Stakeholders Summit held in Offa on Thursday, where party leaders gathered to assess the APC’s political direction and electoral preparedness in the state.
He said the outcome of the 2027 elections would largely depend on the quality and acceptability of candidates fielded by the party across all levels of government.
“The choice of candidates across all levels will determine whether the APC retains power in Kwara or loses it to the opposition,” Ayeni said.
The former envoy cautioned that the ruling party risks losing ground if it allows personal interests, ethnicity, or religion to influence its decision-making process.
He also warned that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, led in the state by former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, remains active and strategically positioned to take advantage of any political missteps by the APC.
“The opposition is strategising day in, day out. They’re not resting. And they’re growing in leaps and bounds. Any slight mistakes from us and they’re back in power,” he said.
Ayeni urged President Bola Tinubu and the APC national leadership to ensure that fairness, competence, and broad acceptability guide the party’s selection process ahead of the elections.
“The President must be conscious of the advice he gets from people who come to him with religious, ethnic, or even personal sentiments at heart. He must approach the Kwara issue with a lot of caution,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ilorin Emirate Political Advisory Council (IEPAC) has endorsed President Tinubu’s re-election bid and the governorship aspiration of Saliu Mustapha ahead of the 2027 elections.
The council said its endorsement was based on what it described as the administration’s development strides in Kwara State.
“What the president has done for Kwara state in the last three years is virtually unprecedented in the history of the state,” said the council’s National Secretary, Kt. Col Abubakar Edun.
He added that the APC remains confident of victory if it maintains unity and presents strong candidates across the state.
