When Senator Saliu Mustapha, the Kwara Central representative at the upper chamber in the National Assembly, entered the APC governorship race, supporters expected that, whatever the outcome, he would remain one of the major beneficiaries of the party’s succession plan. Weeks after the primary, however, events have taken a different turn. With Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu emerging as the party’s governorship candidate and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s name now appearing as the APC candidate for Kwara Central Senatorial District, attention has shifted from the governorship contest to a new question. And this is what next for one of the state’s most influential politicians? Mustapha was among the strongest aspirants in the governorship race. Long before the primary, he had built a campaign across the state and many of his supporters believed his years of pursuing the governorship would finally pay off. Even after Governor AbdulRazaq openly endorsed Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, Mustapha remained in the race. He repeatedly said he was focused on becoming governor and dismissed reports linking him with the Senate ticket. The primary, intriguingly, eventually produced Speaker Danladi as the APC governorship candidate, bringing an end to Mustapha’s ambition to fly the party’s flag in 2027. Like every major primary, attention quickly turned to reconciliation. Within APC circles, there was widespread belief that leaders who lost the governorship ticket would be accommodated to keep the party united. Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq had even said the party would compensate those who contested with appointments. In Mustapha’s case, many party members believed the easiest option was to allow him return to the Senate since he was already representing Kwara Central as a first timer. That expectation has now faded. With INEC publishing Governor AbdulRazaq as the APC candidate for the Kwara Central Senate seat, the political calculations have changed completely. The development means that if nothing changes before the election, Mustapha could leave office in 2027 without the governorship ticket he sought and without returning to the Senate. That possibility has opened a fresh debate within the APC and among political observers. The situation has also brought back discussions about the relationship between Mustapha and Governor AbdulRazaq. For months before the primary, there were reports of a cold relationship between both men. Supporters on both sides openly disagreed over political issues, while allegations also emerged that some constituency projects linked to the senator faced challenges in the state. Although many of those claims were never officially confirmed, they have continued to shape public perception of events within the party. Against that background, many observers now see the Senate ticket as more than an ordinary nomination. To them, it is part of the wider struggle over political influence in Kwara APC after Governor AbdulRazaq leaves office in 2027. Mustapha is not just another politician within the party. Before becoming a senator, he had built a political network through years of scholarships, empowerment programmes, support for party members and grassroots mobilisation. Those activities gave him supporters across the state and strengthened his standing within the APC. His election to the Senate in 2023 further increased his political profile and many believed it placed him in a stronger position to pursue the governorship. With both opportunities now appearing out of reach, attention has turned to his next move. However, Mustapha and other members of the G15 have refused to accept the outcome of the governorship primary, insisting that the process is not over. The group, made up of leading governorship aspirants and other party stakeholders, including Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, Senator Oloriegbe, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa (BOB) among others, has maintained that the primary that produced Danladi did not reflect the agreement reached before the exercise. The group has continued to demand that one of its members, which include senator Mustapha, should emerge as the APC governorship candidate. One of the group’s leaders, Salman Jawondo, recently told Daily Trust that the struggle would continue until September 19, the deadline for the substitution of candidates. Asked what the group would do if Danladi remained the candidate after that date, he said they would cross that bridge when they got there. That position shows that, despite the announcement of Danladi as the APC candidate, the internal battle within the party is far from over. Reacting to the development, an aide of senator Mustapha, Alabi Abdulkareem, told Daily Trust that his principal’s decision would be guided by the collective direction of the G15 coalition and engagements with critical stand the outcome of consultations with his own political structure, supporters, and associates ac
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