KWARA PDP AUTHORIZES SARAKI TO OPEN TALKS WITH AGGRIEVED APC LEADERS, G15 GROUP

PDP authorises former Senate President Bukola Saraki to engage aggrieved APC leaders as internal divisions widen ahead of the 2027 elections

Former Senate President Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has been authorised by the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to begin discussions with aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress’ G15 bloc, a move that could reshape the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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The decision came as divisions within the ruling APC widened following allegations by the G15 coalition that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was undermining internal democracy and attempting to influence the party’s succession process before the next governorship election.

The development has intensified speculation about possible political realignments in Kwara, where the APC ended Saraki’s long-standing political dominance through the “Otoge” movement in the 2019 elections.

At a press conference in Ilorin on Thursday, leaders of the coalition, operating under the banner of Oto Ge Progressives, accused the governor of sidelining party members and attempting to impose candidates for elective offices.

The coalition brought together prominent APC figures, including Senators Saliu Mustapha, Yahaya Oloriegbe, Sodiq Umar and Lola Ashiru, alongside former Attorney-General Salman Jawondo (SAN), Chief Dele Belgore (SAN), party elders, youth and women leaders, and stakeholders from all 16 local government areas of the state.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, former Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe appealed to the APC’s national leadership to intervene before the dispute further weakened the party.

“Unless the present arrangement is reconsidered and the widespread dissatisfaction among party members genuinely addressed, the party’s unity and electoral success can no longer be assured,” Oloriegbe said.

The former lawmaker argued that opposition parties were already positioning themselves to benefit from the growing discontent within the APC.

Oloriegbe alleged that the governor was pursuing a succession agenda that contradicted the consultative principles upon which the party was founded in Kwara.

According to the coalition, dissatisfaction had grown because many party leaders and members felt excluded from major decisions and believed candidates for elective offices were being predetermined.

The group also alleged that some of its members had been subjected to inducements, intimidation and political pressure for refusing to support the governor’s alleged succession plans.

“We reject the notion that the future leadership of our State should be decided solely by one individual. Kwara deserves a credible, transparent and democratic process, not one designed merely to endorse a preferred candidate through coercion, manipulation or exclusion,” Oloriegbe added.

The coalition maintained that it would continue to pursue its campaign through lawful and democratic means while remaining open to legitimate political options capable of protecting the interests of its members.