Obanikoro explains why Kwara election was postponed

…Urges aspirants to accept victory as collective success

Musiliu Obanikoro, a senator and chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Kwara State, has said that scheduled Kwara governorship primary was postponed due to logistic issues.

Speaking with journalists at the party secretariat in Ilorin shortly after meeting with the APC governorship aspirants behind closed doors, he said: “We postponed the election due to logistic issues. We came in late and we needed to be fair to all and to be able to have an effective management of the election, we needed a full day to do that.”

He said the committee was ready and the election would hold across the state. Governorship aspirants who attended the strategic meeting included: Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki; Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa; Wale Sulaiman; Femi Sanni; Tajudeen Alabi; Aisha Ahmad-Patigi; Mohammed Bio; Musiliat Yetunde Adebowale; Muideen Salako; and Captain Ahmad Mahmoud

Obanikoro called on all the aspirants to see the victory of anyone among them as a collective victory for the success of the party.

Read also: APC Kwara Governorship Election Committee promises transparent shadow poll today

“We should see victory belonging to one as belonging to all. Nobody should take victory of a member of his family as something against his personal interest, if it is true that the interest of the party is supreme.

“It is a family meeting. I am a member of APC from Lagos and I am here to have a conversation with members of APC family. On this particular day, we met on the issue of governorship primaries coming up tomorrow and we sat down to have a frank conversation with ourselves that we are all members of one family,” Obanikoro added.

He, however, assured party members that all necessary arrangements have been concluded for a fresh primary election to hold across the 193 wards of the state.

Recall that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who is the Sardauna of Ilorin, had on Tuesday announced his decision to endorse Abdulfatahi Yahaya Seriki’s candidacy and eight co-aspirants had on Wednesday and early Thursday withdrew from the guber race and joined the governor in declaring support for the top businessman.

Recall also that at a meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, the governor had not only urged support for his preferred candidate but also made a concession that made a major contender, Senator Saliu Mustapha back out of the race.

It is not known yet if another concession will be made to make the committee have a decision-switch and support the aspirant he has already endorsed.