Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki has called for calm among his supporters even as he distanced himself from a reported protest by aggrieved youths over recent political developments in the All-Progressives Congress in Kwara State, saying the ruling party must remain united despite tensions from its governorship succession battle.
In a statement signed by Hon. Bolakale Oloje of Team Amba, Seriki said he appreciated the solidarity shown by supporters across the state but rejected any action capable of creating tension, disunity or negative public perception for the APC.
He urged party faithful, especially youths, to remain peaceful, orderly and law-abiding, insisting that every concern should be addressed through the party’s internal mechanisms.
Seriki said he remained “a loyal, disciplined, and committed party man” and expressed confidence in the leadership capacity of the APC from the state chapter to the national hierarchy. He added that this was “not a moment for division, hostility, or actions capable of overheating the polity,” but a time for patience, consultation and responsible leadership.
The appeal comes after days of dramatic twists inside the Kwara APC ahead of the party’s 2027 governorship race. On May 19, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq publicly endorsed Seriki as his preferred successor, describing him as “young, pro-people, astute, and broad-minded,” while urging party leaders and members to support him in the interest of cohesion, unity and continuity. The endorsement immediately heightened political calculations within the party, where multiple aspirants had already entered the race.
But the endorsement itself followed an already troubled succession process as most of the 16 governorship aspirants boycotted a consensus meeting convened by the governor in Ilorin after suspecting it was meant to impose a preferred candidate
Reports said disagreements within the party were linked to zoning calculations, competing ambitions and wider struggles over control of the APC structure in the state.
The broader background had already pointed to a difficult path to consensus. Analysts said the Kwara APC was caught between several power blocs, including the governor’s camp, other established aspirants such as Saliu Mustapha and Yahaya Seriki, legacy political interests and the lingering influence of opposition forces linked to former Senate President Bukola Saraki. Zoning arguments between Kwara North and Kwara Central complicated efforts to produce a consensus candidate, with many stakeholders warning that any perceived imposition could reopen internal fault lines in a party that came to power in 2019 on an anti-imposition “Otoge” wave.
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Tensions were not limited to the governorship race. In the days before the primary, the APC in Kwara was also hit by controversy over screening for State House of Assembly tickets. An earlier screening list had disqualified more than half of the aspirants, but the party reversed the decision and cleared all 159 aspirants in a revised outcome. The reversal intensified political discussions within the party and added to perceptions of instability in its internal selection process.
The governorship primary itself then became even more dramatic. The exercise was first suspended midway and shifted by the APC’s national leadership, with state chairman Sunday Fagbemi saying no detailed reason was provided beyond instructions that the poll should hold the following day. Around the same period, eight aspirants were reported to have stepped down for Seriki after a strategic meeting, apparently boosting his chances going into the rescheduled contest.
Yet another twist followed before voting resumed. AbdulRazaq had allegedly withdrawn his earlier backing for Seriki and shifted support to Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, a development observers said deepened confusion and tension inside the party.
When the primary was eventually concluded, Danladi-Salihu emerged as the APC governorship candidate with 94,990 votes, while Seriki came second with 41,700 votes, according to results announced by the primary election committee. Party officials described the exercise as peaceful and said there was “no loser” in the contest because all aspirants belonged to one political family — language that closely echoes Seriki’s new appeal for calm and unity.
The Kwara contest is also unfolding against a sharpening opposition challenge. On May 23, former Senate President Bukola Saraki announced Kale Kawu as the People’s Democratic Party’s consensus governorship candidate, saying the decision followed extensive consultations with PDP stakeholders and aspirants. The move suggests the opposition is trying to close ranks quickly and present a united front against the APC after the ruling party’s bruising internal contest.
Against that backdrop, Seriki’s statement appears aimed at lowering the political temperature after one of the most turbulent episodes in recent Kwara APC politics. By dissociating himself from the reported protest and urging supporters to stay peaceful, he is seeking to project party loyalty at a time when the APC is trying to contain internal divisions and prepare for a broader contest with a resurgent PDP.
Crediblenewsng.com
