Speaker Yakubu Danladi has emerged as the winner of the APC governorship primary in Kwara State after securing the highest votes across the state’s 16 local government areas.
His closest rival, Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, polled 41,700 votes, while former APC chairman Dr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa (BOB) got 22,118 votes.
The result was announced at the APC secretariat in Ilorin by the chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
“There is no loser in APC. We are all winners,” Obanikoro said before declaring Danladi the winner.
Danladi’s victory followed weeks of tension within the ruling party over who would succeed Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in 2027. The race initially centered on Ambassador Yahaya Seriki and Senator Saliu Mustapha.
Governor AbdulRazaq had publicly backed Seriki as his preferred successor, saying the decision came after “consultations with party leaders and stakeholders across the state”.
However, the Ilorin Emirate Political Advisory Council rejected the endorsement, reshaping alliances within the party.
Ahead of the primary, reports claimed several aspirants stepped down or aligned with Seriki’s camp, though Yahaya Oloriegbe and Prof. Wale Suleiman denied doing so. Resistance to an alleged predetermined arrangement and pressure from different political blocs reportedly led to fresh consultations.
The situation intensified after groups in Kwara South opposed efforts to keep the governorship in Kwara Central and demanded a broader political arrangement ahead of 2027.
Thursday’s primary was suspended midway, officially due to logistics and stakeholder consultations. Party sources, however, linked the delay to unresolved disagreements among APC power blocs.
Before Friday’s rescheduled exercise, Obanikoro met aspirants privately and promised a transparent process.
Danladi later emerged as a consensus candidate among influential party blocs and subsequently gained Governor AbdulRazaq’s backing, weakening Seriki’s momentum.
According to a Government House statement, Danladi dominated the poll statewide, reportedly winning more than 90 percent of votes in all five Kwara North local governments and recording strong leads in Kwara Central and Kwara South.
Other results showed Engr. Femi Sani polling 5,519 votes, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe 3,910, Dele Belgore 3,411, Prof. Wale Suleiman 2,434, Aishat Ahman-Patigi 1,734, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman 1,722, Tajudeen Audu Abdulkadir 1,462, Dr. Azeez Salako Muyideen 1,198, Mohammed Bio 1,122, Dr. Alabi Oluwatoyin 1,099, Yetunde Musliat Adebowale 638 and Ahmad Ibrahim Mahmud 362.
Questions also surrounded Senator Saliu Mustapha’s absence from the final list of aspirants, fueling speculation over whether he withdrew during last-minute negotiations or was excluded through internal arrangements. No official explanation was given.
Danladi’s emergence has now reshaped the APC’s political landscape in Kwara, with supporters celebrating his victory and hailing him as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 governorship election.
Daily Trust
