A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Adewale Waheed, has cautioned the party against fielding Mr. Raheem Olatunji Olawuyi as its candidate for the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in 2027, saying his emergence could cost the party victory at the polls.

He was reacting to a document titled “APC House of Representatives Candidates Declared After Review of Appeal Committee Reports 2026,” in which Olawuyi was listed as the successful candidate for the constituency.

Arguing that presenting Olawuyi as the party’s candidate would amount to handing victory to the opposition, Waheed appealed to the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, to review the decision.

According to him, Olawuyi, who emerged fourth at the party’s primary election despite being a third term House of Representatives Member should not emerge as the candidate if the APC intends to remain competitive in the constituency.

“The era when he was assisted to emerge as the party’s candidate and still struggled to win the general election is over,” Waheed said.

Describing the development as unfair to other contestants, Waheed said: “Olawuyi who could not win in his Ward despite being an incumbent House Member during the said party’s primary is now a candidate is laughable and unimaginable.”

He argued that awarding the ticket to a candidate who allegedly finished fourth in the primary would amount to a disservice to party members who participated in the process.

“If it is true that Raheem Olatunji Olawuyi has been awarded the ticket, the people will revolt against his candidature. It will not only be a slap on the electorate but also provide the opposition with an easy path to victory,” he said.

He added: “He is simply not marketable politically, thus a  burden to the party, and party members will find it difficult to mobilise support for him.

“We should not allow our party to end up in the trash bin of Kwara politics because of a desperate desire of a failed representation which the people of the constituency are determined to shake off for good in the coming general election.”

Waheed urged Prof. Yilwatda and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure that the eventual candidate reflects the wishes of party members and is capable of retaining the constituency for the APC to forestall the impending disaster in the constituency.