According to The PUNCH, the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) that zonaloning its 2027 Kwara State governorship ticket to the Northern senatorial district would be a high-risk strategy.
Sulaiman, a declared APC aspirant from Kwara Central, described such a move as “suicidal” if not backed by clear electoral mathematics. Speaking in a viral video, he acknowledged the legitimacy of zoning and power rotation demands across Kwara’s three senatorial districts but emphasized that parties ultimately prioritize winnability.
“The question is: how does power rotation and zoning translate into electoral victory?” he stated. Sulaiman argued that a party will not zone a ticket to an area where it lacks a “comparative advantage,” let alone a “clear and comfortable advantage,” to win. He cited examples from states like Oyo and Benue, suggesting no party would voluntarily cede an electoral stronghold.
“To me, my position is that the APC can’t afford to take risks,” Sulaiman said, cautioning that ignoring Kwara Central’s population and electoral strength for the sake of zoning to the North would be politically perilous. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and state stakeholders would avoid such a gamble.
His remarks come amid growing agitation for the governorship to shift to Kwara North, which has not produced a governor in decades. The debate has become central to the state’s 2027 succession politics.
Meanwhile, Kwara State APC Chairman Sunday Fagbemi stated the party has no definitive position on zoning yet. He expressed absolute confidence in the party’s electoral prospects, claiming it has “100 percent chances of victory” and aims to enlarge its winning margin. Fagbemi sought to downplay fears of internal crisis, asserting that the party would manage aspirant ambitions and ensure a unified front after the primaries.
The interplay between demands for regional equity and hard-nosed political calculus now defines the early contours of the Kwara governorship race, with the APC’s stance on zoning likely to determine its strategy and unity heading into 2027.
