A fresh crisis has erupted within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State after a group of party elders rejected the emergence of Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin on Monday, the Kwara APC Elders Caucus urged President Bola Tinubu and the party’s National Working Committee to review the outcome of the governorship primary, warning that retaining Danladi as the candidate could cost the party victory in the state.

The caucus, led by James Ayenioye, argued that the process that produced Danladi lacked credibility and claimed the Speaker does not enjoy the statewide acceptance needed to unite the party or defeat the opposition.

The elders also criticised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for endorsing the Speaker, alleging that key stakeholders were not adequately consulted before the candidate was presented to the party’s national leadership.

They further claimed that political realities in Kwara had changed and urged the APC leadership to engage more broadly with stakeholders to avoid what they described as a costly political mistake.

However, the Kwara APC dismissed the claims, insisting that the governorship primary was conducted in line with party guidelines under the supervision of officials from the party’s national headquarters and relevant security agencies.

In a statement by the state Publicity Secretary, A.O. Babatunde, the party described allegations that the primary never took place as false and maintained that Danladi emerged as the duly elected governorship candidate.

The party also defended Governor AbdulRazaq’s role in the process, saying he acted within the party’s established procedures and in the interest of preserving unity.

It further disowned the Kwara APC Elders Caucus, stating that the group has no official recognition within the party structure and urging members to channel grievances through established party mechanisms.

Meanwhile, another group of APC elders threw its weight behind Danladi’s candidacy, describing the primary as peaceful, transparent and widely accepted.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Abdullateef Alakawa said Danladi enjoys broad support across the state, particularly among young people, and dismissed the opposing elders as individuals without legitimacy within the APC.

The pro-Danladi group also insisted that Governor AbdulRazaq did not impose any candidate and expressed confidence that the APC would retain Kwara State in the 2027 general elections.