APC Primary Shock: Deputy Senate Leader Ashiru Loses Return Ticket in Kwara South

The political landscape in Kwara State shifted dramatically on Tuesday as Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru, lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Kwara South to former Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Dr Muheebah Dankaka.

Dr Dankaka secured a sweeping victory across the 12 wards in Offa Local Government Area, polling about 20,000 votes and establishing dominance in key parts of the senatorial district ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections.

Senator Ashiru, who currently represents Kwara South Senatorial District in the Senate, was defeated in his political stronghold of Offa, a development observers described as a major upset within the ruling party.

Dankaka, holder of the traditional title of Erelu of Offa, hails from the ancient town just like the incumbent senator. She is married to a Kano indigene and has remained a prominent figure in Kwara politics since her tenure at the FCC.

Reacting to the outcome, an APC elder in Offa, Alhaji Mubashir Olaiya, said party members across the local government united behind Dankaka’s candidacy in what he called a “collective demand for better representation.”

According to him, youths, women and stakeholders across all the wards voted massively for change and rallied around a candidate they believed possessed the “capacity, character and conviction” to reposition Kwara South.

Political analysts say the outcome signals growing internal realignments within the Kwara APC as the race toward the 2027 general elections gathers momentum.