2027: APC risks losing Kwara without Seriki, group warns

The Kwara Young Progressive Forum and Good Governance Initiative has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at both the national and state levels to reconsider and reverse what it described as the withdrawal of the endorsement of Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as the party’s preferred governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Kwara State.

The group warned that the ruling party risks losing the state to the opposition if it fails to address what it called a “grave political error” ahead of the next governorship contest.

In a statement issued by its Convener, Dr. Adams Abdulwahab Opeyemi, the forum expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment allegedly meted out to Seriki, describing him as a loyal party stalwart whose contributions to the APC’s growth and electoral successes in Kwara and beyond should not be overlooked.

According to the group, sidelining a politician of Seriki’s stature could create disaffection among party supporters and weaken the APC’s chances of retaining power in the state.

“It is unacceptable and counterproductive for a man of such integrity, who has sacrificed immensely for the progress of the APC, to be humiliated and discarded in this manner,” the statement said.

The forum argued that with increasing political activities and growing momentum among opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APC must present a candidate capable of uniting the party and commanding widespread support across the state.

It maintained that Seriki possesses the political strength, grassroots appeal and leadership credentials needed to secure victory for the APC in the 2027 governorship election.

The group described the businessman and philanthropist as a grassroots mobiliser with a proven record of empowering citizens and creating employment opportunities through his private sector investments.

According to the statement, Seriki’s entrepreneurial ventures have generated thousands of direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians, while his empowerment initiatives have provided support to vulnerable groups across Kwara State.

The forum also highlighted his role in the historic “O To Ge” political movement that ended the long-standing dominance of the Saraki political structure in Kwara, describing his contributions as instrumental to the APC’s emergence as the dominant political force in the state.

“Ambassador Seriki embodies the genuine aspirations of the teeming young people of Kwara State. He is their voice, their hope, and their champion for a new Kwara that works for all,” Opeyemi stated.

The group further argued that Seriki’s popularity among young people and grassroots supporters makes him the most marketable governorship aspirant within the APC, insisting that his track record of service and community engagement distinguishes him from other potential contenders.

It said his interventions in poverty alleviation, skills acquisition and small business support programmes have positively impacted thousands of residents across the state.

“While others talk, Seriki acts. His love for the masses is not rhetorical but demonstrable through tangible impacts that have transformed lives across the state,” the statement added.

The forum therefore appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the APC national leadership and key stakeholders in Kwara politics to intervene in the matter and ensure that what it termed the “people’s mandate” is restored before the party finalises its candidates for the 2027 elections.

According to the group, time remains for the party leadership to make strategic decisions that would strengthen APC’s electoral prospects in the state.

It warned that failure to act could have serious political consequences for the party.

“Restoring the people’s mandate in the person of Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki is not just the right thing to do, it is the only strategic decision that guarantees APC’s victory in Kwara in 2027. Failure to act decisively will amount to political suicide and hand over the state to the opposition on a platter of gold. The time to act is now,” the statement concluded.

The APC leadership has yet to officially respond to the group’s claims.