The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed the Kwara State governorship primary earlier scheduled for Thursday to Friday.
The state party chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, who confirmed the development to journalists in Ilorin on Thursday, said his office was informed that the national leadership ordered the postponement.
He said: “We don’t have details for the cancellation other than the fact that the team from the national office came and instructed that the election holds tomorrow (Friday).”
A statement issued by the state party’s publicity secretary, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Olawale Babatunde, also confirmed the postponement.
“The APC Governorship Primary earlier scheduled to hold today, Thursday, May 21, 2026, has been postponed.
“The new date for the Governorship Primary is now Friday, May 22, 2026.
“All aspirants and party faithful are advised to take note.
“Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,” the statement added.
However, barely hours before the commencement of the rescheduled primary, eight aspirants on Thursday stepped down from the race.
The aspirants subsequently threw their weight behind the preferred aspirant of the state governor, Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, leaving the contest among Senator Saliu Mustapha, Alhaji Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa (BOB), Engineer Femi Sanni (Araba), and Seriki.
Those who withdrew from the race and pledged support for Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki include Dr. Salako Muyideen Oluwatoyin, Captain Ahmad Mahmoud, Professor Wale Sulaiman, Dr. Mohammed Omar Bio, Dr. Toyin Alabi, Hajiya Aisha Ahman Patigi, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi.
The aspirants announced their withdrawal ahead of the postponed Thursday primary. Earlier, Senator Sadiq Umar and the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, had also withdrawn from the race.
The development further eased tension among supporters of the various aspirants.
Despite the postponement, the primary exercise turned into a carnival-like atmosphere, as supporters of Seriki, Mustapha, Sanni and BOB turned out in large numbers across various wards to demonstrate support for their preferred aspirants.
From Magaji Are Ward 11 to Alanamu and Gambari Ward 11, as well as Adewole Ward in Ilorin East and West local government areas respectively, party supporters displayed posters of their preferred aspirants while dancing to praise songs.
At Gambari Ward 11 in Ilorin East Local Government Area, scores of Hausa-speaking visually impaired persons gathered at Karumo, the venue of the primary, as early as 8 a.m. for the exercise, which eventually commenced around noon across the state.
A visually impaired participant, Abubakar Gobir Sokoto, who said he is from Sokoto State, told journalists that he and his colleagues were present to exercise their civic rights as loyal party members.
Another visually impaired participant, Rufai Yusuf, also from Sokoto State, said: “We are with our families to pay goodness with goodness. We are all here for Yahaya Seriki.”
At Adewole and Alanamu wards in Ilorin West, chants of “Sai Yahaya” rented the air as supporters rallied behind Seriki.
Meanwhile, reports from the Kwara South Senatorial District indicated that party members from the seven local government areas in the district lined up behind frontline governorship aspirant and former state APC chairman, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa.
THISDAY checks revealed that party members queued behind the former Kwara State APC chairman in several wards across the district in what many described as a major show of strength ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
In Oyun Local Government Area, APC members from Erin-Ile, Ipee, Iraa, Ijagbo, Ilemona and other communities reportedly turned out in large numbers to participate in the exercise.
Residents and party supporters were seen gathering early at designated voting centres as the exercise commenced under the supervision of party officials and security operatives.
The heavy turnout recorded in Kwara South is being interpreted by APC members as a strong indication of Bolarinwa’s growing acceptance within the ruling party structure in the district.
Hammed Shittu
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