•To Enable Him Take Over KWARA
For almost 10 years now, former Senate
President Dr. Bukola Saraki has left public office. Saraki has however remained
in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The strongman of Kwara Politics has
repeatedly stated that he does not have any ambition in the next election but
instead preparing for 2031. Nonetheless, he aims to set things right both in
the state and at the federal level and that is his topmost priority.
According to reliable sources, Saraki is
adopting a Wike-style political strategy by staying within the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) while collaborating with the ruling administration and
aligning with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2027 elections.
Over the past 7 years, the APC has been the
dominant party in Kwara State, which has rendered the former governor of the
state and former Senate President less influential there. According to a close
aide of Dr. Saraki, the former Senate president has approached FCT Minister
Wike to help his protege secure victory in the coming gubernatorial election.
“Saraki had told Wike to help him have a soft landing within the APC camp. He
had informed Wike of his plans to support his PDP gubernatorial candidate and
also work for President Tinubu’s reelection in the state, said the source. ”
Presently, it will be difficult for the All
Progressives Congress to retain the Kwara State governorship in 2027 due to
severe internal fragmentation, fierce zoning disputes, and growing voter disillusionment.
The G-15 Coalition: A powerful bloc of
aggrieved stakeholders including governorship aspirants, federal lawmakers, and
party elders has formed the G-15, openly withdrawing support from Governor
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over allegations of high-handedness and the imposition
of a successor.
There are also internal rebel groups like the
Otoge Progressives (TOP) that have vowed to remain within the party structure
specifically to work against the current leadership in 2027.
Unlike other states where ruling parties are
quietly agreeing on consensus candidates, Kwara APC faces deadlocked rivalries
among over a dozen aspirants who reject imposition.
North vs. South Agitations: Agitation is high
for power to shift to Kwara North, which has not produced a governor since
1999. However, other stakeholders and zones fiercely contest these
arrangements, arguing that imposing a zone or a weak candidate risks electoral
suicide.
Also, party elders have warned that the
governor’s preferred choices or handpicked alignments lack structural
popularity across the broader electorate, making the eventual flag bearer
difficult to sell to voters. Originally, it was the former APC chairman, the
President’s support for the gubernatorial candidate for Kwara State, and we
hear that the president is not happy about the latter outcome of the primary,
which produced Danladi. Dr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa (BOB) was dropped and
finished third in the May 2026 Kwara State APC governorship primary due to a
fierce local power struggle with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who leveraged
his control over the state’s executive machinery to back a different candidate
despite Bolarinwa’s deep ties to President Bola Tinubu. Bolarinwa is a longtime
loyalist molded directly in the “Tinubu school of leadership.” He previously
served as a two-term Local Government Chairman in Lagos Mainland and relied
heavily on his strong allegiance to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda to
build his 2027 gubernatorial momentum. In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRazaq
holds the local party structure. The friction between Bolarinwa and AbdulRazaq
dates back years, during which Bolarinwa was previously removed as state party
chairman following accusations of running a non-inclusive structure and
fighting the Governor’s office.
The APC guber candidate in the state, Rt. Hon.
Salihu Yakubu Danladi, we gather, is not very popular among many Kwarans. Apart
from that, the party is no longer popular in the state, and many Kwara
indigenes have vowed to embrace PDP gubernatorial candidate Bolakale Kawu. The
big news is that the former governor has appealed to President Tinubu and has
promised to support him in the coming presidential election if the president
can give them a level playing ground, just like he acted in the recent Osun
election that produced Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord party. We gathered
that this has been the major issue between Dr. Saraki and the FCT minister, and
he wants to use the minister’s influence to penetrate President Tinubu. The
Kwara PDP believes that APC will be thoroughly beaten in the state if there is
no federal might.The Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believes it can
win the upcoming governorship election because it is capitalizing on perceived
grassroots failures of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), maintaining
a strong, unified party structure across all 16 local government areas, and
working to build alliances with other opposition groups. The party asserts that
the ruling APC administration has failed local communities, giving the
opposition a strong platform to rally voters who are dissatisfied with current
economic and social conditions. Guided by former Senate President Dr. Abubakar
Bukola Saraki, the PDP maintains an active presence across all 16 local government
areas in Kwara State. Party leadership has directed members to collaborate and
form coalitions with other opposition political parties in the state to build a
unified front against the incumbent government. Currently in Kwara State, the
PDP is heavily emphasizing grassroots voter registration and education.
Dr. Bukola Saraki is also supporting the
Rainbow Coalition that will enrich President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chances, which
was established by Minister Wike in Rivers State, and we hear it could also be
adopted in Kwara if all goes as planned between the two parties. Senator Saliu
Mustapha disclosed on Channels Television that Saraki, as a leader of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, is supporting the movement, much
like FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who remains in the PDP while working with the
Tinubu administration. Saraki is not running for an elective office or
contesting a Senate or governorship seat in 2027, allowing for flexible
cross-party political maneuvering. The Rainbow Coalition brings together
figures from different parties at the state level to build consensus and back
President Tinubu’s second-term agenda without necessarily forcing formal party
decamping.
Isaac Abimbade
08155107955
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