APC May Lose Kwara If 2027 Ticket Goes to North, Says NILDS DG

APC May Lose Kwara If 2027 Ticket Goes to North, Says NILDS DG

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abubakar Suleiman, has warned that the All Progressives Congress could risk losing its grip on Kwara State if it zones its 2027 governorship ticket to the northern senatorial district.

Suleiman, in a statement issued on Friday, weighed in on the ongoing zoning debate within the party, stressing that while power rotation remains vital for inclusion and balance, it must not override electoral strategy.

He noted that zoning, though politically desirable, should not be pursued at the expense of winning elections.

“For any political party, the primary objective is victory. Zoning that undermines that objective becomes counterproductive,” he said.

According to him, political parties typically rely on key indicators such as voter strength, past election results, grassroots mobilisation and the viability of candidates when deciding where to zone tickets.

He warned that allocating the ticket to a region where such factors are weak could pose a serious electoral setback.

Citing the 2023 general election, Suleiman pointed out that the Peoples Democratic Party suffered losses after zoning its governorship ticket to Kwara North, a move he said the party is now seeking to correct.

“The same PDP, with all intelligence, is trying to correct its past mistakes now by taking power back to the Central district,” he added.

Suleiman cautioned the APC against repeating what he described as a flawed political calculation.

“It will be suicidal on the side of APC. It will be a major risk, an unpardonable risk, if out of love, emotion or sentiment, we decide to go the same way,” he said.

He, however, called for unity across the three senatorial districts; Kwara North, Central and South, stressing that internal cohesion would be crucial to the party’s chances in the 2027 governorship election.

The NILDS boss urged party stakeholders to build consensus and adopt a pragmatic approach that balances equity with electoral success.