A sociopolitical organization, Democratic Network International (DNI), has disclosed that of all the All Progressives Congress-controlled states, Kwara has the highest governorship aspirants to contest the 2027 race.

The group said that Kwara has so far recorded 16 expressions of interests and nominations in the political prime job.

 According to the group, Kwara has 16 aspirants while Abia has five governorship aspirants, Adamawa ten, Bauchi eight, Oyo 11 and Rivers four.

In a statement signed by its coordinator, Israel Babatunde, the development, though, is a beauty of democracy, however, it added that the development portrays a leadership crisis in the State.

Babatunde suggested that the party leadership in the state ought to have provided guide in an atmosphere of civility to ensure the ruling party has a good showing in the 2027 general elections.

“In a situation where an unpopular aspirant is preferred against popular one because of self-centered interest or ethnic sentiments, the party may have itself to blame if such plan is left to scale through” the group noted.

The statement advised that APC leadership should have established a process of ensuring that a popular aspirant emerges as the consensus candidate and be supported.

“We learnt that more than 40 people bought the nomination for the House of Representatives. If we total the amount of money APC candidates used to buy forms from Kwara State alone that would be over N3 billion for a state that is not viable when compared to others in its category.

“A proper leadership would have prevented such scenario.

“It would be better for the party to work for consensus candidate to be chosen, because, as it is, the primaries would factionalize the party.

“There are also 154 House of Assembly aspirants for a 24-seat State Assembly.

“As democrats, it’s gratifying to see that many aspirants are showing interest to govern the state but it is worrying that the process continues to look unwieldy with the highest number of aspirants for state and national elections in the whole country. “Going by the information at our disposal, the closest to Kwara is Oyo state with just a little above 10.

“While Gov Abdulraham Abdulrazaq deserves an applause for freeing up the political space, we are calling on him to emulate his brother-governor in Borno, Babagana Zulum, who rallied the stakeholders to present a consensus candidate for the party in line with the desire of President Bola Tinubu to forestall the usual crisis that follows primary elections.

“The governor as the leader of the party in the state will have to work with the national leadership of the party to sustain peace after the nomination.

“President Tinubu is also urged to step into the Kwara crisis to preserve the fragile peace in the state.

The President has done so successfully in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos even in Osun and Ekiti with off-circle elections. The time to act is now, for the peace of Kwara,” the group stated.