2027 Poll: Kwara APC Elders Dismiss Bamisaiye-led Group, Back Danladi-Salihu

A group of elders in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday declared support for the party’s governorship candidate, Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, while dismissing the position earlier taken by the Chief James Bamisaiye-led group against his emergence.

Addressing a crowded press conference in Ilorin, the state capital, the elders also assured President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC that Danladi-Salihu enjoys broad support across the state, particularly among young voters, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The group was reacting to an earlier press conference by the Chief James Bamisaiye-led APC Elders Caucus, which rejected Danladi-Salihu’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate and warned that the APC risked losing Kwara State unless the crisis surrounding his candidature was addressed.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Agenda Ambassadors, Hon. AbdulLateef Gidado Alakawa, described members of the opposing camp as individuals not recognised within the official party structure in the state.

“To say the least, those who addressed that conference are interlopers who are not recognised by the APC structure in the state.

“We would ordinarily not have dignified the claims of these individuals with a response, but there is a need to correct what we consider false narratives.

“The general public is aware that our party conducted primaries for all elective offices, including the governorship ticket, in a peaceful atmosphere. The result of the governorship primary was announced by the chairman of the panel sent from Abuja to conduct the exercise, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, at the Banquet Hall along Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin.

“The governorship primary held on May 22, 2026, produced the incumbent Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as winner. Since then, none of the other governorship aspirants has formally challenged the outcome of the exercise.”

Alakawa said Danladi-Salihu had since reached out to former contestants and embarked on visits to political stakeholders and traditional rulers across the state in a move aimed at strengthening party unity.

According to him, the candidate possesses both professional and political credentials, having served as Speaker of the State House of Assembly for several years.

He also dismissed allegations that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq imposed the governorship candidate on the party.

“The governor allowed a free and fair contest and was not directly involved in conducting the exercise. As a democrat, he only accepted the outcome of a process widely judged peaceful and credible,” he said.

Citing figures announced by the APC primary committee, Alakawa said Danladi-Salihu scored 94,990 votes to defeat eight other aspirants.

He further claimed that support for the candidate extended across the three senatorial districts of the state and reflected the will of party members.

The group urged aggrieved party members to close ranks and work toward securing victory for the APC in the next election cycle.

“We want to assure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Kwara remains an APC state and, by the grace of God, the governor and other stakeholders will once again deliver victory for the party in 2027,” Alakawa stated.

Alakawa was joined at the briefing by the Coordinator of the Kwara Central APC Elders Caucus, Alhaji Razaq Lawal, and party chieftain, Alhaji Usman Bibire Ajape, among others.