A Call for Justice, Reconciliation and the Protection of Internal Democracy*
*By the Kwara Progressive Coalition*
The Kwara Progressive Coalition, a pro-democracy movement dedicated to the progress and development of Kwara State, has stated that the recent position taken by the Kwara State APC Elders Caucus concerning the governorship primary that produced Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 elections deserves serious attention from every stakeholder within our great party.
The group in a strongly worded statement said, The intervention of the elders is significant not merely because of who they are, but because of what they represent.
These are men and women who have devoted decades of their lives to building political structures, nurturing democratic institutions, supporting progressive causes, and safeguarding the collective interests of our party and state.
When such respected elders publicly express concern about the credibility of a process that will ultimately determine the future of our party and the political destiny of Kwara State, their views should not be dismissed. They should be carefully examined.
Their statement confirms what many party members across the three senatorial districts have quietly expressed over the past several weeks.
There exists widespread dissatisfaction regarding the circumstances surrounding the governorship primary process.
There exists deep concern regarding the manner in which critical decisions were taken.
There exists growing apprehension that many committed party members, stakeholders, grassroots leaders, and loyal supporters feel excluded from decisions that will profoundly affect the future of the APC in Kwara State.
The issue before us is therefore bigger than any individual candidate.
It is bigger than any political camp.
It is bigger than any temporary advantage.
It is fundamentally about the credibility of our internal democratic processes and the future electoral viability of our party.
The APC emerged as a progressive movement because it promised something different.
It promised inclusion over exclusion.
It promised participation over imposition.
It promised internal democracy over political authoritarianism.
It promised fairness over arbitrariness.
These principles cannot become negotiable simply because succession politics has arrived.
History has repeatedly shown that political parties are rarely defeated by external opponents before they are first weakened internally by unresolved grievances, perceived injustices, and avoidable divisions.
The warning signs are already visible.
Across communities, wards, local governments, and senatorial districts, conversations are taking place among party faithful who feel disappointed, alienated, and unheard.
Many of these individuals are not opposition members.
They are loyal APC supporters.
They are the foot soldiers who defended the party when victory was uncertain.
They are the grassroots mobilisers who delivered electoral success.
They are the stakeholders who sacrificed personal interests for collective goals.
Their concerns deserve to be heard.
Their grievances deserve attention.
Their loyalty deserves respect.
The intervention of the APC Elders Caucus therefore provides an opportunity for reflection and corrective action.
This is not the time for arrogance.
This is not the time for triumphalism.
This is not the time to dismiss genuine concerns as mere bitterness.
Rather, this is the time for leadership.
Leadership requires listening.
Leadership requires consultation.
Leadership requires reconciliation.
Leadership requires the courage to place the long-term interests of the party above short-term political calculations.
We therefore respectfully call on the National Chairman of the APC, members of the National Working Committee, the National Executive Committee, and the broader leadership of our great party to carefully examine the concerns raised by the elders.
The APC cannot afford to enter a critical election cycle burdened by avoidable controversies and unresolved internal disputes.
The stakes are simply too high.
We also respectfully appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as the leader of our great party and the foremost beneficiary of a united and strong APC, to encourage every necessary step that will strengthen cohesion, restore confidence, and reinforce democratic principles within the party.
Mr. President understands better than most that enduring political success is built not merely on victory, but on legitimacy.
The strength of the APC has always resided in its ability to accommodate diverse interests while preserving unity of purpose.
That tradition must not be abandoned.
Most importantly, we urge all stakeholders to remember that no individual ambition is greater than the future of the party.
No temporary political advantage is worth the risk of permanent division.
No succession arrangement is worth undermining the confidence of loyal party members.
The APC remains the dominant political platform in Kwara State.
However, political dominance is not sustained through imposition.
It is sustained through trust.
It is sustained through fairness.
It is sustained through consultation.
It is sustained through legitimacy.
The concerns raised by the Kwara APC Elders Caucus present an opportunity to strengthen those foundations.
We urge the party leadership to seize that opportunity before it is too late.
History will ultimately judge not only the decisions we make, but also the warnings we choose to ignore.
Signed
Kwara Progressive Coalition.
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