{
  "id": 16249867,
  "title": "2027: As Saraki, AbdulRazaq Renew Battle for Control of Kwara",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/2027-as-saraki-abdulrazaq-renew-battle-for-control-of-kwara",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-24T00:24:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/24/2027-as-saraki-abdulrazaq-renew-battle-for-control-of-kwara/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the lead-up to the 2027 elections in Kwara State, the political arena has seen a renewed struggle for the coveted governorship seat. The primary contenders are the incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the APC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, and the opposition PDP's gubernatorial candidate, Engr. Bolakale Kawu Agaka. Additionally, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, the ADC governorship candidate, has also entered the fray. Another notable contender is Prof. Abdulmumin Ajia, the NDC governorship candidate, who also hails from Ilorin in Kwara Central Senatorial District.\n\nThe emergence of Salihu-Danladi as the APC governorship candidate has caused dissatisfaction among party stakeholders in the state, leading to the formation of the G15 faction within the APC and the defection of some party chieftains to the opposition PDP. Among those who defected to the PDP is Senator Saliu Mustapha, who secured the PDP senatorial ticket for Kwara Central Senatorial District, and Kolo Jiya, an APC chieftain from Kwara North Senatorial District, who became the party's candidate for the Kwara North senatorial seat.\n\nDespite the internal conflicts within the APC, the party's leadership has defended its choice of Salihu-Danladi as the governorship candidate, stating that the people of Kwara North deserved representation in the state's leadership. The APC Chairman in the state emphasized that Salihu-Danladi's candidacy would bring good leadership and continuity across the state's three senatorial districts. The party has also been making efforts to woo voters across all senatorial districts to promote justice, fairness, and equity in the state's political calculations.\n\nOn the other side, the PDP candidate, Engr. Bolakale Kawu Agaka, a retired executive director of the federally owned Rural Roads Emergency agency in Abuja and a prince of the Ilorin Emirate, has held consultations with party stakeholders and other groups to seek their support. He has toured various communities in Kwara South Senatorial District to garner backing for his candidacy. The state PDP Chairman, Mallam Isa Bawa, has stated that the PDP is ready to deliver improved performance and governance through its candidate, Agaka, and has criticized the APC for failing to provide good leadership despite the substantial funds that have accrued to the state since their assumption of office in 2019.",
  "summary": "Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Ahead of the 2027 elections, the struggle for political leadership in Kwara, the State of Harmony, over who will take the mantle of leadership, after Governor Abdulrahman",
  "key_points": [
    "2027 Kwara State gubernatorial election approaching",
    "Contenders: APC's Salihu-Danladi, PDP's Agaka, NDC's Ajia",
    "Internal APC conflicts lead to G15 faction and defections"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Internal fractures within the ruling party and high-profile defections to the opposition signal a destabilized political landscape that threatens the continuity of the current administration's leadership in Kwara.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}