Elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the ruling party to reconsider the choice of the governorship candidate selected in the recently concluded party primary in the state for the success of the party in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Monday, the APC Elders’ Caucus, led by Chief James Bamisaiye Ayenioye, JP, urged the party leadership to take a second look at the political situation in Kwara State.

“We urge them to engage more broadly with the critical stakeholders across the state and to consider the long-term health, stability and sustainability of the APC above all other considerations.

“We are also constrained to observe that much of what has been presented to stakeholders outside the state regarding the popularity and acceptability of the current candidate, Salihu Danladi Yakubu, does not accurately reflect the realities on the ground.

“The truth is that whatever media theatrics have been staged so far are merely attempts to create a false impression of acceptance where none exists.

“We are patriotic elders of the party who have spent years building the APC and who have nothing to gain personally from raising these concerns. We are neither given to sensationalism nor are we political merchants seeking relevance.

“Indeed, it would have been easier to remain silent, but we cannot, in these circumstances and in good conscience, support a political arrangement that we genuinely believe places the party in jeopardy and on a path towards electoral defeat.”

The elders also alleged that certain influential aides in the Presidency are working to foist an unpopular option on the APC in Kwara State in exchange for patronage and other pecuniary benefits, now or in the foreseeable future.

“We, therefore, respectfully ask them to place the long-term survival of the party above personal interests, private commitments and political promises.

“The future of the APC in Kwara State is too important to be sacrificed for the ambitions of a few individuals. The APC in Kwara State has been built through sacrifice, commitment and collective effort over many years.

“Its future should not be jeopardised by decisions that do not enjoy broad acceptance among party members and stakeholders. Our intervention today should, therefore, not be seen as an act of rebellion, but as an act of patriotism and responsibility.

“We speak because we care. We speak because we believe the APC can still avoid a costly mistake. And we speak because history teaches that political parties are strongest when they are willing to listen to honest counsel from within.

“Finally, while expressing these concerns, we reaffirm our loyalty to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and reassure him of our commitment to the success of his Renewed Hope Agenda. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on the third anniversary of his impactful administration and assure him of our continued support as he prepares for the 2027 presidential election.”

Also speaking, another member of the elders’ caucus and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Salman Jawondo (SAN), said that no primary election was held, adding that “it was a daylight robbery. The party should provide an alternative.

“Elders didn’t have access to the Governor to lay their complaints. We can’t continue to have a dictator. There should be a properly organised primary. We don’t want the APC to lose this state, and that’s why we want the situation to change. The opposition has gained more ground. We can’t go to the field with SYD or else the APC will lose the election.” (TRIBUNE)