EXCLUSIVE: Kwara APC divided as Central holds ‘North4Governor’ rally in Ilorin Tuesday

 

•Central stakeholders kick, North aspirants play along

•Organisers pay transport unions, artisans to boost attendance

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara Central have pulled back from a rally billed for Tuesday to project the district’s support for a Kwara North governorship bid, exposing fresh cracks within the state’s ruling party, according to two senior party sources familiar with the development.

The division, according to the sources, stems from the ambitions of several prominent figures from Kwara Central who are also contesting for the governorship seat. While party structures in the North and South have delivered on similar rallies in recent days, major stakeholders including local government chairmen in Kwara Central, expected to host the final leg of the mobilisation, are now limiting their roles, according to the sources.

The four chairmen, however, are still contributing funds, as earlier reported by The Informant247, to signal support for the campaign while remaining largely in the background.

The Informant247 previously reported that council chairmen were directed to raise funds in support of campaign rallies tied to the aspiration of Speaker Salihu Yakubu-Danladi, as jockeying intensifies within the party. 

The push for the rallies follows efforts by the state governor to position Danladi as his preferred candidate for the governorship election. Those efforts however ran into headwinds in Abuja, where Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, a former state party chairman, is said to have secured backing from the presidency.

According to multiple sources, the governor has since moved to counter that influence, activating political networks that include fellow governors and traditional rulers from Kwara North and South, in a bid to sway President Bola Tinubu and other key power brokers. 

While that effort has yet to produce a clear shift in Abuja, at home, the sources said the governor signalled that large-scale pre-primary rallies should begin across the state in support of Danladi as a demonstration of his acceptability.

‘A cue from PDP’s unity’

However, following the rally in Kwara North and part of South, the governor directed that the Kwara Central outing should no longer project a single aspirant. Instead, all four northern contenders are to be presented collectively, with messaging reframed to emphasise support for President Tinuibu and the broader Kwara North agenda.

The shift, sources said, was influenced in part by recent opposition rallies that showcased unity among aspirants, offering a contrast that party leaders could not ignore.

The Informant247 had reported that the party leader, former Senate president Bukola Saraki is in quiet contact with figures within the presidency, as he explores options to rebuild his political influence in Kwara.  

Two senior political figures described the engagements as part of a broader strategic recalibration following two electoral losses.

“Initially, everyone was organising separate rallies,” a senior government source said. “The governor had given Danladi the go-ahead to demonstrate strength to Abuja. But after seeing how the opposition managed theirs with a united front, there was a rethink. Already, we know Saraki is negotiating at the top, so we now have them in calculation in anything we do. All their three major candidates are from central and moving in unity. They held their rallies in Kwara South and Central together. Now the idea is to bring all our own aspirants from Kwara North together and project a common front as well.”

Gov AbdulRazaq ‘greenlighted’ campaign

Even so, officials close to the governor say he is keeping his options open. One source familiar with the governor’s thinking told The Informant247 that he is still weighing other candidates from Kwara South who are close to him as possible alternatives to present to the presidency, even as he continues to project a northern aspirant.

“You should have seen the campaign banner of one of his close associates, not widely known, but influential within this administration,” the source said. “That gives the governor an option from the South. He already has interests in Central, so he is building multiple alternatives because of concerns about Bolarinwa’s candidacy.”

“He is playing a chess game,” the source added. “Even as he pushes the North, he is signalling different directions to his aides. The idea is to first demonstrate northern solidarity. Once that is achieved, rallies in the South and Central will reinforce support for the North while also declaring backing for the president’s second term.”

“This way, he achieves two goals, showing President Tinubu that he has strong grassroots support in Kwara, and using that as leverage to promote his agenda. If that works, he may narrow the choice to Danladi. If not, he goes for alternatives in South of Central seen as more acceptable to the presidency. For now, there is no clear indication it is working, but the rallies are being broadcast nationally, which is part of the objective.”

Another source said a campaign banner initially designed to promote Danladi was altered on the governor’s instruction.

“One of his appointees sent him a Danladi4Governor banner,” the source said. “But the governor directed that Danladi’s image be changed. While his own and that of the president be left, with messaging changed to reflect Kwara’s support for Tinubu’s second term. This is also to appease and garner supports from other Kwara North aspirants.”

‘Not comfortable, but playing along’

Among other northern aspirants, the response has been cautious cooperation. Three sources aligned with different contenders said they are participating in the process for now, while preparing for a possible shift once the broader regional agenda is settled.

“We understand what is happening,” one of them said. “The goal is to present Kwara North as a united front. If that succeeds, the next phase will be about who emerges from the zone. Everyone is thinking ahead.”

An aide to one of the aspirants, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said underlying rivalries remain unresolved.

“Even within Kwara North, relationships are strained,” the aide said. “If there is consensus around the zone, it does not automatically translate into support for one individual.  The speaker does not have strong relationships with many aspirants. Some will prefer a neutral candidate. We believe we are well positioned in that regard, but we are keeping our plans private for now.”

An aide to another aspirant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment, also reinforced that divisions remain beneath the surface.

“We all know the governor prefers Danladi,” one source said. “But the immediate goal is to project unity in Kwara North and show that the APC is aligned behind the region. If that succeeds, the next phase will be about individual ambitions. We understand the strategy and are preparing for different outcomes. But for now, pushing the Kwara North agenda is a collective effort.”

‘Kwara Central stakeholders pull back’

In Kwara Central, the hesitation is more pronounced. Party sources said council chairmen, though financially committed, are unwilling to take the lead in mobilising support due to pressure from other aspirants and political players.

“The chairmen have local political interests to protect,” one source said. “They are supporting the movement financially, but are reluctant to lead the rally to avoid backlash from their constituencies.”

Another source said each chairman contributed about N5 million toward the rally and that coordination meetings are being held at the office of the Ilorin South Local Government chairman, Abdulmajeed Podo.

Despite these efforts, several key stakeholders in Kwara Central are expected to stay away from the rally at the Metropolitan Square, a development that could affect turnout.

‘Mobilisation efforts’

Mobilisation efforts are now being led by a smaller circle of political actors in central, including the state House leader, Abdulkadir Mogaji Oba, as well as key aides to the governor such as Suleiman Abubakar, special assistant on political matters (Kwara Central), and Abdulgafar Ayilara, special assistant on inter-parliamentary affairs.

State legislators loyal to the speaker from Kwara Central are also holding strategy meetings at the House leader’s office in a bid to shore up participation, sources said. 

Even with those efforts, expectations are being recalibrated. Organisers had initially targeted more than 10,000 attendees. But internal divisions and lingering suspicion about the rally’s true purpose have dampened enthusiasm among party members.

Supporters of figures such as Senator Saliu Mustapha, Ambassador Abdulfatah Yahaya Seriki and Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe are expected to stay away, creating what one source described as “a significant gap” in projected attendance.

“Many members are unenthusiastic,” a source said. “There is suspicion that the rally may be used to promote a particular aspirant rather than serve as a unifying event.”

‘Turning to paid mobilisation: NURTW, RTEAN, artisans to boost numbers’

Facing that shortfall, organisers have expanded outreach beyond party structures.
Multiple sources said efforts are underway to recruit participants from informal sectors in a bid to fill the venue and project strength.

“Kwara Central is critical, it is the state’s power bloc,” a party source said. “They need to demonstrate strength there, regardless of the challenges.”

The outreach includes the National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, as well as associations of tricycle and motorcycle operators, artisans, marketers and student groups.

According to sources, each group has been tasked with mobilising about 500 participants, with financial incentives offered. Participants are expected to receive between N5,000, with additional N3,000 making N8,000 for those who attend with operational vehicles.

“For many, it is about the money,” said a member of a tricycle operators’ association. “Spending a few hours there and earning at least N5,000 is a good deal.”

Sources within other artisan groups also expressed similar views.

“We will be there,” a top RTEAN source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “They have promised support. With rising fuel prices affecting our business, anything extra helps, even if it is just for a day.”