Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has endorsed Yahaya Seriki as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
The governor made the announcement in a Facebook post on Tuesday, sighted by The PUNCH in Ilorin.
Announcing his preferred successor, the governor said the decision followed what he described as extensive consultations with party stakeholders and leadership structures across the state.
“Following extensive consultations with party structures and leadership, I am pleased to endorse Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as my preferred successor under the platform of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the statement read.
The governor described Yahaya Seriki as a youthful and people-oriented politician with strong political mobilisation capacity and widespread grassroots acceptance across the state.
“Young, pro-people, astute, and broad-minded, Amb. Yahaya Seriki has been a great political mobiliser with profound investments in and extensive goodwill among the people of Kwara State.
“I have no doubt about his capacity and that his choice is appropriate for the people of our state at this time,” AbdulRazaq added.
The governor, however, clarified that his endorsement does not invalidate the aspirations of other governorship hopefuls seeking the APC ticket ahead of the party’s primary election slated for Thursday, May 21, 2026.
“While this does not in any way preclude all other aspirants from contesting in the primaries, I urge members and leaders to affirm the choice of Seriki as our candidate for cohesion, unity, and continuous success of the party as we hold our gubernatorial primaries on Thursday, May 21, 2026,” he said.
AbdulRazaq also stressed that the endorsement should not be interpreted as a rejection of other aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket, noting that all contenders possess commendable leadership qualities.
“The choice of Amb. Yahaya Seriki is neither a disapproval of any of our eminently qualified aspirants nor a whimsical attempt to delegitimise the noble aspirations of our people.
“But in a race involving some 16 great minds for one office, only one person can take the shot at a time,” the governor stated.
He further commended the conduct and maturity displayed by the governorship aspirants within the ruling party, praising their commitment to sustaining the achievements of his administration.
“Finally, I acknowledge and commend the statesmanship of our aspirants, all of whom have shown discipline and impressive capacity to build on the undeniable achievements of our administration over the last seven years for the good of the people of Kwara State,” the statement added.
The endorsement is expected to shape the dynamics of the APC governorship primary in the state, with Yahaya Seriki emerging as a leading contender in the race to succeed AbdulRazaq in 2027.
AbdulRazaq, who is expected to complete his constitutionally mandated two-term tenure by 2027, recently participated in the APC senatorial primary for the Kwara Central Senatorial District ticket.
Reports indicate that the governor is contesting the Senate seat unopposed.
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