EXCLUSIVE: Quiet tension grips APC in Kwara as Bolarinwa draws backing from Abuja
By all indications, the early contours of the 2027 governorship race in Kwara State are beginning to take shape, and not without friction.
Fresh details from within the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress suggest that Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, a former state chairman of the party from Ifelodun Local Government Area, has secured the confidence of influential figures in Abuja. That emerging reality, party insiders say, is already setting off a chain reaction of quiet resistance and strategic recalibration among key stakeholders in the state.
Multiple sources who spoke to The Informant247 described the development in near identical terms. Bolarinwa, they said, is widely perceived within inner party circles as having been endorsed by power brokers at the national level.
“This has gone beyond speculation,” a senior party figure said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. “Those who are supposed to understand the signal already do. That is why you are seeing subtle movements across the board.”
For now, the pushback remains restrained.
“There is resistance, but it is measured,” another insider said. “People are not speaking loudly, but they are watching closely and weighing their options. In this kind of situation, you either align quickly or you begin to build alternative alliances.”
Within party ranks, the response has been swift, if largely out of public view. Some aspirants have stepped up consultations in Abuja, seeking clarity or leverage. Others are turning inward, reinforcing their grassroots networks across the state in anticipation of what could become a tightly contested primary.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whose political machinery has shaped much of the state’s APC structure, is believed to have his own succession preferences. That influence had informed earlier permutations. But several party sources say the weight of national actors may yet prove decisive.
“The governor remains a central figure. He has submitted a name to the presidency earlier,” one source familiar with ongoing discussions said. “But when signals come from Abuja, they tend to carry a different kind of authority. That is what many are adjusting to.”
The pattern is not unfamiliar. In 2019, AbdulRazaq’s emergence as the party’s candidate followed a similar interplay between local ways and national alignment, ultimately tilting the balance in his favour.
That history is not lost on current aspirants. In recent years, many within the party have come to view national connections as essential, often pairing local mobilization with sustained engagement in Abuja and other political hubs.
Recent developments have only reinforced the signal. The public endorsement of Bolarinwa by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, is being read by stakeholders as more than a personal show of support.
“Endorsements of that nature are rarely isolated,” a party chieftain said. “They usually reflect a broader understanding within certain circles.”
Even so, party figures caution against treating the race as settled. Consultations continue across different blocs, and negotiations remain fluid.
“There is still space for engagement,” another insider said. “But the dynamics have clearly shifted. What you have now is a mix of alignment, quiet resistance, and careful calculation.”
