By Fatima Gold
Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi (SYD), has emerged the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 gubernatorial elections.
Declaring him as the winner of the party’s Governorship Primary Election held on Friday, the Chairman of the APC Supervisory Committee and Returning Officer for the governorship primaries in Kwara State, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro announced that Hon. Danladi scored 94,990 votes to beat other fifteen aspirants who participated in the Direct Primary Election exercise.
“I, Senator Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro, hereby pronounce Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi as the winner of the governorship primary, having satisfied the requirements of the APC constitution and guidelines and secured the highest number of votes as the candidate of our great party for the Kwara governorship election held on this 22nd day of May, 2026,” Obanikoro declared.
According to the results announced by the returning officer, and participated by 15 aspirants, Ambassador Yahaya Seriki scored 41,700 votes, while former APC State Chairman, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, polled 22,118 votes.
Other aspirants and their votes include Olufemi Kolawole Sani with 5,919 votes; Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, 3,910; Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), 3,411; Dr Alabi Oluwatoyin, 1,999; Mohammed Omar Bio, 1,122; and Tajudeen Audu Abdulkadir, 1,462 votes.
Also, Azeez Salako Muhideen scored 1,198 votes; Prof. Olawale Adeniyi Sulaiman, 2,434; Ahmad Ibrahim Mahmoud, 362; Yetunde Musliat Adebowale, 638; Ahishat Ahmad Pategi, 1,734; and Prof. Abubakar Olarewaju Sulaiman, 1,722 votes.
Obanikoro further expressed his delight to be in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, describing the State as the most peaceful in Nigeria, and warned against any attempt to destabilise it.
“I’m happy to be here in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Unarguably, this is the most peaceful State in Nigeria. Anyone trying to truncate the peace will be dealt with.”
The committee Chairman commended party members for turning out massively for the exercise despite the postponement of the primary from Thursday to Friday due to logistics challenges.
“Yesterday, as we arrived, we saw a large number of our members ready to participate. However, due to logistical reasons, we decided to shift the primary to today.
“Despite the inconveniences experienced yesterday, you still came out today to show the world the doggedness and resilience for which our great party is known,” Obanikoro stated.
He added that the peaceful conduct of the exercise is a loud statement, demonstrating the party’s readiness for the 2027 elections.
Earlier in his address, the Kwara APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, described the exercise as a moment of joy for the party and praised members for conducting themselves peacefully.
He welcomed the Obanikoro-led committee to the State and commended party members for sustaining peace throughout the primary process.
“We give thanks to Almighty God for making it possible for us to gather here peacefully today. We have concluded the process of choosing our flagbearers without rancour.
“We concluded the Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives primaries without any problems,” he added.
The APC Chairman dismissed reports of internal crisis within the State chapter, insisting that Kwara remained peaceful and united.
“They came all the way from Abuja to witness our transition process. Everything they have been hearing about Kwara is false. We are truly a state of harmony.
He further boasted that Kwara was the only State that openly adopted President Bola Tinubu with a promise of a 100 per cent support, and still remained one of his strongest support bases and the APC.
“Kwara delivered for Mr President and all members of the National Assembly in 2023. We delivered all the elections, including the presidential, National Assembly, State and local governments elections, 100 per cent, and that is the foundation we are laying again today,” he added.
Meanwhile, Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazak of Kwara State had earlier on Tuesday officially endorsed Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki (MFR) as his preferred successor but on Friday threw his full weight behind the Speaker and ensured his emergence as the party’s flagbearer in the forthcoming general elections.
He acknowledged and commended the statesmanship of aspirants, all of whom he said have shown discipline and impressive capacity to build on the undeniable achievements of the administration over the last seven years for the good of the people of Kwara State.
