Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Ahead of the All Progressives Congress(APC) primaries, a total number of 16 governorship aspirants of the party in Kwara State have purchased expression of interest and nomination forms to contest in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued in Ilorin by a sociopolitical organisation, Democratic Network International (DNI), signed by its coordinator, Israel Babatunde, yesterday said that the number is the highest among the governorship aspirants in 28 states that are participating in the forthcoming governorship poll.
The statement said that, “While Abia has five governorship aspirants, Adamawa has 10, Bauchi, 8, Oyo, 11 and Rivers, 4”.
Babatunde, who described the development as part of beauty of democracy, however, said that it portrays a leadership crisis in the state.
He said that the party leadership in the state ought to have provided guide in an atmosphere of civility to ensure the ruling party has a good showing in the 2027 general elections.
“In a situation where an unpopular aspirant is preferred against popular one because of self-centred interest or ethnic sentiments, the party may have itself to blame for it if such plan is left to scale through,” the group noted.
The statement further said that party leadership should have established a process of ensuring that a popular aspirant emerges as the consensus candidate and be supported.
“We learnt that more than 40 people bought the nomination for the House of Representatives.
“If we total the amount of money APC candidates used to buy forms from Kwara State alone that would be over N3 billion for a state that is not that viable when compared to others in its category.
“A proper leadership would have prevented such scenario.
“It would be better for the party to work for consensus candidates to be chosen, because, as it is, the primaries would factionalise the party.
“There are also 154 House of Assembly aspirants for a 24-seat State Assembly.
“As democrats, it’s gratifying to see that many aspirants are showing interest to govern the state but it is worrying that the process continues to look unwieldy with the highest number of aspirants for state and national elections in the whole country.
“Going by the information at our disposal, the closest to Kwara is Oyo State with just a little above 10.
“While Governor Abdulraham Abdulrazaq deserves an applause for freeing up the political space, we are calling on him to emulate his brother-governor in Borno, Babagana Zulum, who rallied the stakeholders to present a consensus candidate for the party in line with the desire of President Bola Tinubu to forestall the usual crisis that follows primary elections.
“The governor as the leader of the party in the state will have to work with the national leadership of the party to sustain peace after the nomination.
“President Tinubu is also urged to step into the Kwara crisis to preserve the fragile peace in the state.
“The President has done so successfully in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos even in Osun and Ekiti with off-circle elections. The time to act is now, for the peace of Kwara.”
