APC Youths Caution Leaders Against Picking Gov’ship Candidate Outside Kwara North

Ahead of the governorship primaries, Kwara State All Progressives Congress Young Stakeholders (KSAPYS) has cautioned the leadership of the party against picking the  candidate outside Kwara North Senatorial District.

The group urged the party to strategically pick its governorship candidate from Kwara north for it to secure victory in the 2027 general elections.

The spokesman of the group, Isa Kayode from Ilorin West local government area, at a news conference in Ilorin, said the decision to advocate power shift to the northern region was based on electoral realities and proven voting patterns.

He said, “We wish to state clearly that we will not tolerate or allow a repeat of the irregularities and controversies that characterised the 2023 APC primary election in Kwara State. Such occurrences must be firmly rejected and condemned in the interest of party unity, internal democracy and credibility.”

He recalled that in the 2015, 2019 and 2023 election cycles, Kwara North maintained a stable voting pattern in favour of the APC, thus contributing significantly to its overall victory margins.

Kayode explained that the region remains the most dependable electoral stronghold capable of delivering the critical block  votes required for victory.

“Should the party ignore our data-driven reality and field a candidate outside Kwara North, there is a high risk of fragmenting the party’s existing support base. The dependable block vote from Kwara North may be weakened. The party could face serious electoral setbacks, potentially conceding victory to opposition forces,” he said.

He urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to initiate a rancour-free, transparent, and consultative consensus-building process in the interest of the APC.

Kayode called on the governor to involve critical stakeholders, ensure fairness, openness and inclusiveness and produce a credible, competent and generally acceptable candidate from Kwara north among the prospective aspirants.

The spokesman assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the group’s commitment to his re-election bid in 2027.

During the question and answer session, two other speakers, Ajide Foluke from Kwara South and Muhammed Buhari from Kwara north corroborated Kayode’s submission.