Danladi not APC’s Strongest Governorship Option, Kwara Elders tell Tinubu, National Secretariat
The Kwara State APC Elders Caucus has urged President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the ruling party to consider other strong option aside Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi as the party’s governorship candidate, arguing that he is not the strongest political option available to the APC ahead of the 2027 election.
Addressing a press conference in Ilorin on Monday, the elders, through their chairman, Sir (Dr.) Chief James Bamisaiye Ayenioye, JP, said their position was reached after consultations with stakeholders across the state’s three senatorial districts and an assessment of the prevailing political climate.
The caucus said it had no personal grievances against Danladi and did not oppose his right to seek higher office, but insisted that the party needed a candidate with broader acceptance and stronger electoral prospects.
“We do not believe that the purported emergence of Hon. Engr. Yakubu Salihu Danladi represents the strongest political option available to the party at this critical moment,” the group said.
According to the elders, Danladi lacks the level of statewide appeal required to unite the party, attract undecided voters and effectively challenge a resurgent opposition.
The caucus further argued that political realities in Kwara have changed significantly and warned against the assumption that the APC could secure victory regardless of the candidate it fields.
It also faulted the process that produced Danladi as candidate and accused party leaders of failing to adequately consult stakeholders before making decisions that would shape the future of the party.
The elders appealed to President Tinubu, APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and members of the National Working Committee to engage stakeholders and review the situation in Kwara State.
They warned that decisions based on personal preferences rather than political realities could jeopardise the party’s chances in the next governorship election.