Op-ed | 2027: APC e-registration and the battle for Kwara’s soul

By: Suleiman Jamiu Olayina

Globally, political parties are using technology to make their membership records clean, open, and hard to manipulate. E-registration, to a reasonable extent, helps to stop the kind of sharp practices we used to see with paper registers. It is on this note that I sincerely commend the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress for bringing in electronic registration for party members and intending individuals. If you ask me, I’d tell you, this is not about following trends. It shows that the APC understands how the world works today. And this is a step in the right direction, and I support it fully.

So, on Tuesday, 13th January 2026, I revalidated my APC membership. I did this reluctantly, yes, but with my eyes wide open. The exercise went smoothly and I represent the same Sakele Zone, Adewole Ward of Ilorin West local government you’ve always known me from.

Now to one of the bones of contention. The state party leader and I do not agree on many things—our political ideas are different, our views on how government should work are different, and especially how leaders should be chosen. I see myself as centre-left in my thinking. He runs things from a far-right capitalist angle. These are not small differences that you can settle over a cup of tea.

I will give credit where it is due. The financial health of Kwara State has improved under this government. That much is clear. But good management of accounts does not mean good judgment in spending. How do we explain putting about 40 billion naira into Kwara Hotel and building a brand new university when our own Kwara State University, Malete is struggling to pay salaries and get basic support from the state? This is like buying a new car when your children are hungry at home. That money could have gone into fixing our roads, building proper bus systems, or ensuring enhanced security architecture. These are things that would have created real jobs and made life easier for ordinary people who wake up every day wondering how to move around this state.

Recently, I have been watching the moves of our brothers under the umbrella “AA BOYS.” All of a sudden, they are smiling at me. Emissaries are coming with friendly words. Phone calls are flying up and down. But I did not just fall off the back of a lorry. I know what is happening. This is not about peace or reconciliation—it is about drawing me close enough to clip my wings politically. We have seen this film before, and we know how it ends. In 2022, they used “Raid” against people who stood in their way. Now the weapon may be different, but the plan is the same. Call it political ‘Otapiapia’ if you like—sweet on the outside, poison on the inside. Those playing this game should take note: some of us are awake.

So why am I still in the APC? The honest answer is that there is no better option right now that truly cares about what Kwarans need. I cannot join hands with people who think governing means making life hard for citizens, letting hunger spread like wildfire or cripple our education infrastructure. When I look at the APC manifesto—not what is being done, but what the party stands for on paper—it comes closer to my belief in moderate socialism than anything else out there.

This brings me to my main point, and I will not dance around it. I believe Distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha should take over as the leader of our party at the state level, replacing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. If that is not possible, then the APC must bring forward a candidate who actually cares about people, not just power. The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Saliu Danladi, does not fit this description. His time leading the last two assemblies speaks for itself—and what it says is not good news for those of us who are tired of an effective legislation.

Back home, some people call me a “bad egg” because I come from the same ward as the governor. Well, politics is not biology. You do not inherit your political views from your neighbour or your ward mate. Look at Alhaji Atiku Abubakar—his own son chose different political roads from him. Governor AA may be like a father figure to some, but fathers and sons do not always agree, especially when it comes to politics. That is just how things work.

If I ever get a chance to speak up in my ward, I will say this loudly: we cannot keep appointing people with only primary school certificates or first school leaving results when we have people with Master’s degrees, PhDs, and even Professors right here in Adewole Ward. We are blessed with sharp young minds from Kuntu, Adeta, Sakele, Gaa Aremu-Isale Jagun, Idi-Ope, Idigba, and the host of other areas. When you look closely, you will see them doing wonders in their respective field. But what do we see? Imagine our ward slots going to outsiders who are even less qualified, while our own qualified people sit at home. I am not preaching that only people from our ward should get appointments—that would be nepotism, and I do not support that. But when you have gold in your backyard and you go outside to buy sand, you must answer some questions. This is the sad reality of Kwara politics today.

Fellow Kwarans, let me round off by saying this: my loyalty is to the people of Kwara State, not to any individual politician. I will keep working for what is best for them. Distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha has shown that he has what it takes to move Kwara forward. His work on food security at the National Assembly is not just talk—it is action. We need someone who understands that our people are hungry, that they need jobs, that they need policies that make life better, not harder. The man has the capacity, and the time to act is now.

The 2027 election is coming. Kwarans are watching, and they are no longer sleeping. The old ways of doing things will not work anymore. We are all witnesses to what is happening.

Till next time, when you shall be reading my thoughts, may the right candidate win the battle for our state’s soul!

Suleiman Jamiu Olayinka is a Kwaran from Adewole Ward.