Kwara South Young Professionals Back Speaker Danladi, Appeal to Disgruntled APC Aspirants

A coalition of young political figures in Kwara State has implored dissatisfied governorship hopefuls within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to set aside their grievances and rally behind the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, who currently serves as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. This appeal comes as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

The group, identified as Kwara South Young Professionals in Politics, officially endorsed Danladi’s candidacy during an event held in Ilorin on Friday. They expressed strong confidence that the APC would swiftly resolve its internal disputes and successfully retain all 35 elective positions across the state.

Speaking to Arewa PUNCH, Abdulrosheed Akogun, a House of Assembly aspirant and member of the organisation, highlighted that their body has been actively mobilising residents, particularly young people, to ensure their robust participation in the electoral process through voter registration and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Akogun stated, “We are professionals and politicians in the group. The bulk of our job is to mobilise like-minded people at the grassroots to join politics and contribute their quota, but we equally found it expedient to address the press. We have been mobilising people, especially the youths, towards ensuring that we have improved voter enrolment. We have equally been sensitising the people on why they must get their PVCs and vote with their conscience.”

Addressing the concerns raised by some APC governorship aspirants following the party’s primary election, Akogun affirmed that they possess every right to articulate their discontent. He elaborated, “Talking about the aggrieved aspirants, it is the fundamental right of everybody, especially within the political system, to express their grievances. Those who are aggrieved have done nothing wrong. They are still within the party. Their coming out to express their grievances is because they want them addressed. That shows they also love the party.”

He further remarked, “If they don’t love the party, they could have decamped. But the fact that they are complaining about some of these things shows that they want them addressed. None of them has said they would work against the interest of the party. Within every family, there will always be issues and the beauty of democracy is that the minority will have their say while the majority will have their way.”

Akogun conveyed his optimism that the aggrieved aspirants would soon reconcile with the party’s leadership and actively contribute to Danladi’s emergence as governor. He confidently predicted, “I can assure you that within the next few days, all the aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders will come together to support the candidature of Salihu Yakubu Danladi. They will stand at the forefront to ensure that he wins by a landslide.” He added, “Within days, all the issues will be resolved and APC will once again win all the 35 available elective seats and continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to Kwara and Kwarans.”

The group also commended the APC national leadership for what Akogun described as its impartial approach in handling party affairs. He noted, “We appreciate the national body for the way it has been piloting the affairs of the party. We appreciate the fact that it has given all interest groups the opportunity to express their grievances. We also appreciate its neutrality. It has demonstrated that both the aggrieved aspirants and the candidate who emerged from the primaries need unity and peace in Kwara APC to ensure that we work together.”

Akogun concluded, “We have utmost confidence in the leadership of the party at both the national and state levels that within the next few days, we will come together, smile and collectively work towards the victory of APC so that we will deliver 35-0 for the APC in the 2027 general elections.”

Earlier, Lukman Jimba, the group’s Chairman, explained that their endorsement of Danladi was based on principles of justice, fairness, and equity. He argued that Kwara North deserved the opportunity to produce the state’s first democratically elected governor from the district. Jimba characterised Danladi as a symbol of a new generation of leadership and called upon party members, traditional rulers, youths, women, professionals, and other stakeholders across the state’s 16 local government areas to support his candidacy.

Jimba additionally appealed to other APC governorship aspirants to set aside their differences and unite behind the party’s candidate, stressing that unity was essential for consolidating Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s achievements and securing victory for the APC in the 2027 general elections. This endorsement unfolds amid persistent dissatisfaction within the Kwara APC following Danladi’s selection as the party’s gubernatorial nominee. This development also comes after ten APC governorship aspirants recently petitioned President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had lost the moral and political authority to influence the party’s future in the state. The aspirants had urged the President to intervene in what they termed a deepening internal crisis threatening the APC’s electoral prospects in 2027.