GOV. ABDULRAZAQ HAS NOT AND WILL NOT ENDORSE ANY APC GUBER ASPIRANT – CPS
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has denied a media report circulating in sections of the media and on social media platforms claiming that he has endorsed a preferred candidate.
The attention of the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kwara State has been drawn to reports circulating in sections of the media and on social media platforms claiming that His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has endorsed a preferred successor for the 2027 governorship election.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr Rafiu Ajakaiye, with reference number “Ref: KWSG/CPS/05/2026/019” made available to newsmen in Ilorin.
According to the statement, we categorically state that these reports are false, misleading, and do not represent the position of His Excellency.
For the avoidance of doubt, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has not endorsed, and will not endorse, any aspirant seeking the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the governorship election. This position is consistent with his statement at the APC State Congress held on *Tuesday, March 3, 2026*, where he emphasized that the party would conduct an open, free, and merit-based primary process, and that the choice of candidate rests solely with party members.
“We urge party members, stakeholders, and the general public to disregard any purported endorsement and to avoid being misled by individuals seeking to create confusion and disaffection within the party.
“The Governor remains focused on delivering on his mandate to the people of Kwara State and will continue to provide a level playing field for all aspirants in line with the principles of fairness, equity, and internal democracy,” he added
Meanwhile, there was a social media report purported saying Governor AbdulRazaq has endorsed a candidate: “Following extensive consultations with party structures and leadership, I am pleased to endorse Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki (MFR) as my preferred successor under the platform of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“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.
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.
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 aspimrations 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.”
However, the governorship primary has been slated for Thursday across the state by the APC with sixteen candidates jostling for the seat of the state governor.
