Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has delivered a staggering blow to its own political structure in Kwara State, disqualifying a staggering 105 aspirants from contesting the party’s ticket for the 2027 House of Assembly election. The decision, which has sparked a major internal crisis, means that more than two-thirds of the 158 politicians who purchased nomination forms to run for the state’s 24 legislative seats have been axed, leaving only 53 cleared to proceed to the primaries. The announcement came on May 14, 2026, as the party released its official list of cleared candidates at its secretariat in Ilorin, according to a report by The PUNCH.
The scale of the disqualifications has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape, which many analysts consider a key battleground for the APC ahead of the 2027 general election. A significant portion of those barred from contesting are sitting lawmakers seeking either a second or third term in office, a move that has triggered immediate outcry and accusations that the party is clearing a path for a select group of anointed candidates. The final clearance list shows that only 53 out of the 158 aspirants who purchased nomination forms were permitted to continue in the race. A party source claimed the mass disqualification is an effort by the party leadership to promote consensus and cut down on costly and divisive direct primaries. “The party is trying to reduce unnecessary contests and ensure that consensus candidates emerge in most of the constituencies,” a senior party source told Legit.ng.
The political carnage has not been evenly distributed across the state. In the Kwara Central senatorial district, all incumbent lawmakers seeking re-election were cleared with just one notable exception: Hon. Ayishat Tundun Alanamu, the representative for the Alanamu/Ajikobi Constituency, was struck from the list. However, the situation in the Kwara South senatorial district was far more brutal, where several incumbent lawmakers were unceremoniously barred from re-contesting. Among those disqualified were Hon. Ganiyu Folabi Salahu (Omupo Constituency), Hon. Owolabi Olatunde Rasaq (Share/Oke-Ode Constituency), Hon. Bamigboye Joseph (Oke-Ero Constituency), Hon. Omotosho Olakunle Rasaq (Isin Constituency), and Hon. Yusuf Abdulwaheed Gbenga (Essa/Shawo/Igboidun Constituency). The purge was not limited to rank-and-file members. Hon. Issa Gideon, the lawmaker representing Edu Constituency who is currently under suspension by the House over allegations of misconduct, was also denied clearance to seek a second term.
While the official reasons for the disqualifications remain vague, party sources have indicated that many of those declared “uncleared” fell afoul of procedural issues, including breaches of the party’s constitution and guidelines. Specific cited infractions have included failing to provide valid APC membership slips, inconsistencies in dates of birth, and differences in names across official documents. A senior party source told Legit.ng, “Most of those marked uncleared were disqualified due to issues relating to party regulations and constitutional requirements.” To some political observers, however, the sheer volume of the disqualifications—over 66% of all aspirants—suggests a deliberate, top-down strategy to manipulate the outcome of the primaries in favor of a preferred slate of candidates loyal to the state’s political leadership.
The mass disqualification has dramatically changed the arithmetic of the party’s preparation for the 2027 general election. The Kwara State House of Assembly currently comprises 24 members, and the party will now have to choose its candidates from the 53 remaining aspirants. The purge has already triggered significant anxiety among the political class and their supporters, with aggrieved aspirants and their backers reportedly considering legal action against the party. The development has further deepened existing fault lines within the state’s APC, where stakeholders had already been issuing warnings that the party risks losing its stronghold in the state if urgent measures are not taken to ensure fairness.
This internal strife in Kwara is a symptom of a wider crisis engulfing the APC as it prepares for primary elections across the country. In states like Rivers, Benue, Ebonyi, Taraba, and Kogi, similar controversies surrounding screening, disqualifications, and the imposition of consensus candidates have triggered protests, defections, and threats of legal action. In Rivers State, the scale of the fallout became evident when an APC screening appeal panel confirmed that 65 aspirants had been disqualified, while only 33 were cleared. In Jigawa State, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly resigned from the party after failing to secure clearance. This wave of internal conflict indicates that the party’s drive to streamline its candidate selection process ahead of the 2027 polls is coming at a heavy cost in terms of unity.
Despite the growing turmoil, the Kwara State chapter of the APC has remained silent, failing to issue an official statement explaining the rationale behind the disqualification of the 105 candidates. This silence has only fueled speculation and anxiety among the party’s rank and file. As the primary elections, scheduled for May 20, 2026, draw near, the ruling party faces a critical test. If the internal strife over the screening results is not deftly managed, the Kwara APC risks ceding its dominant position in the state and handing the advantage to a resurgent opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The coming days will reveal whether the party leadership can heal these wounds or if the decision to disqualify over 100 of its own will lead to a devastating rebellion that could cost it the state in 2027.
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