Renown neurosurgeon and gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Prof. Wale Sulaiman on Thursday allayed fears that the grievances trailing the party’s governorship primary could affect its chances in the 2027 general elections.
Sulaiman maintained that the APC remains the party to beat in the state
because of what he described as its superior performance in government.
He added that despite the agitation by some aggrieved aspirants under the platform of the G-15, members of the ruling party would eventually close ranks ahead of the elections.
He said that it was regrettable that the ongoing dispute within the APC was driven more by personal ambition than genuine concern for democratic principles or the welfare of the people of the state.
” Many of those now challenging the emergence of the APC governorship candidate( Engr. Yakubu Danladi- Salihu) never questioned the process until it failed to favour them.
“I think it is rather unfortunate that we have grown men fighting like schoolchildren whose principal has denied them candy. The debate should be about the needs of our people, not about a sense of political entitlement,” he said.
Sulaiman said Kwara is grappling with serious challenges, including insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure, lamenting that the state’s political conversation has shifted away from addressing those issues.
“Kwara is one of the states badly affected by insecurity. People have vacated their villages, farmers cannot go to their farms, women struggle to go to markets, and unemployment remains very high.
“Nobody has really come out to say, ‘This is how I will tackle insecurity, create jobs, improve education, or develop infrastructure.’ The debate has become about who wants to be governor because they want to be king,” he added.
He restated that he joined politics to serve the people, rather than pursuing personal ambition, stressing that competence and leadership capacity should remain the basis for choosing leaders.
“I have never fought for any position because of self-gratification. I have always believed our people deserve better, and I have always engaged in politics based on issues,” he said.
Sulaiman, however, acknowledged that the APC primary process had generated controversy but argued that party members willingly subjected themselves to the party’s internal mechanisms.
“The process was there for everybody to see. Once the game has been played and a winner declared, people cannot suddenly begin to fault the process simply because it did not favour them.
“If those complaining today had emerged through the same process, would they have rejected the nomination? I don’t think so,” he said.
On the agitation by members of the G-15, Sulaiman said the group’s concerns should have been raised before the conclusion of the selection process rather than after a candidate had emerged.
He also noted that President Bola Tinubu had publicly indicated that APC governors would play a leading role in the emergence of their successors, making Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq the recognised leader of the party in Kwara.
