By Folayimika Akanbi
Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ilorin, KwaraState capital, on Saturday, staged a peaceful protest at the state Secretariat of the party, demanding the reversal of the outcome of the gubernatorial primaries of the party in preparation for 2027 general elections.
They insisted that an anointed governorship aspirant and chieftain of the party, Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, should be considered to fly the flag of the party in place of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, who was earlier announced as winner of the shadow election by Musiliu Obanikoro-led APC Gubernatorial Primary Committee.
This medium reports that the angry members under Kwara APC Youth Forum, who brandished various placards to ventilate their grievances, sang solidarity songs in support of their preferred candidate.
Inscriptions on the placards read “Kwara Women for AMBA 2027, Kwara youths reject imposition, we reject Obanikoro fraudulent results, Kwara State deserves Better. Give us back our mandate.”
The Convener, Kwara APC Youth Forum, Comrade Ayuba Bako Moroofdeen, who addressed Journalists from a prepared text, said the outcome of the gubernatorial primaries was shocking and disappointing for members of the party.
He alleged that the results of the shadow polls did not reflect the wishes of majority of members of the party, describing the results of the election as a direct affront to the democratic values the ruling party claims to uphold.
Moroofdeen reminded the APC leadership that the strength of any political party lies in the trust and confidence of its members, warning that the unity and future of the party become seriously threatened once the people lose faith in its internal democratic processes.
“Yesterday’s APC governorship primary election in Kwara State has left thousands of party faithful deeply disappointed, shocked, and disillusioned. What should have been a transparent, credible, and democratic process unfortunately turned into an exercise allegedly characterized by imposition, predetermined arrangements, and the suppression of the genuine will of party members.
“As youths who have worked tirelessly for the growth, stability, and electoral successes of the APC across all wards and local governments in Kwara State, we categorically reject the outcome of the governorship primary and refuse to accept the announced candidate as the true reflection of the wishes and aspirations of APC members in the state.
“Democracy is built on fairness, participation, transparency, and the collective decision of the people. Democracy cannot survive where the voices of the majority are ignored and where political interests are placed above justice and equity. What transpired during the primary election is a direct affront to the democratic values our great party claims to uphold.
“We are gathered here today to send a clear message to the national leadership of our party and all critical stakeholders that the future of the APC in Kwara State cannot and must not be sacrificed on the altar of political manipulation and selfish ambition.
“The youths of Kwara State reject every form of candidate imposition. We reject every arrangement designed to silence the people and deny party members the opportunity to freely choose their preferred candidate.
“Without fear or hesitation, we boldly declare that the most acceptable, most popular, most experienced, and most people-oriented aspirant in this race remains Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki Gambari, MFR.
“Ambassador Yahaya Seriki has over the years built enduring relationships across every part of Kwara State through his humility, generosity, humanitarian interventions, grassroots mobilization, and unwavering commitment to the welfare of the people. His popularity cuts across political, ethnic, religious, and generational divides.
“From the youths to the elders, from market women to community leaders, from students to artisans, the overwhelming support for Ambassador Yahaya Seriki across the state is visible, organic, and undeniable.
“It is therefore unacceptable that such a widely embraced aspirant could be sidelined through a process many party faithful consider questionable and lacking in credibility,” he said.
Also speaking, an aggrieved youth, Mohammed Oladimeji Abdulrahman, called on the national leadership of the APC to reverse the outcome of the gubernatorial primaries and declare Yahaya Seriki as duly elected candidate of the party.
He explained that the business mogul has support of major stakeholders and members of the party and expressed disappointment in the entire process.
Similarly, Mrs Salamat Wolimoh, who also protested at the state APC secretariat, said the results of the shadow election were unacceptable to members because it was predetermined.
She urged the hierarchy of the ruling party to make rectitude and pronounce Yahaya Seriki as winner of the governorship primary election in the state.
END
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