2027: Kwara speaker’s 2027 guber ambition under scrutiny over alleged double nomination

The gubernatorial ambition of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, for the 2027 general elections, has taken a new twist with a civil society group accusing him of double participation in the gubernatorial and House of Assembly primary elections in the state.

The Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative, has dragged the lawmaker to court over alleged participation in the state gubernatorial and House of Assembly primary elections.

Joined in the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1112/2026, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, are the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The group is questioning Danladi’s alleged participation in both the APC governorship primary and the House of Assembly primary for Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency during the same election cycle.

The plaintiff alleged that Danladi was screened, cleared and participated as an aspirant in the APC primary election for the Kwara State House of Assembly seat for Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency held on May 20, 2026.

He is also alleged to have taken part in the party’s governorship primary conducted on May 21 and another exercise allegedly held on May 22, 2026, which declared him the winner of the party’s primary election.

The originating summons filed before the court by the plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the sponsorship and continued recognition of Danladi by the APC for two separate elective offices in the same election season is constitutional and lawful under the Electoral Act, 2026.

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The plaintiff further wants the court to determine whether a candidate who participated in two different primary elections for separate offices in the same electoral cycle can validly emerge as the winner of one of the contests while the outcome of the other primary election remains unresolved or unpublished.

Reliefs sought by the plaintiff include asking the court to declare that Danladi’s nomination, screening, clearance and participation in both the House of Assembly and governorship primaries amount to a violation of the Electoral Act and provisions regulating party primaries and nominations.

The body also urged the court to declare his governorship aspiration and emergence as the APC candidate unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

The suit further seeks an order restraining INEC from accepting, publishing, recognising or retaining Danladi’s name as the APC governorship candidate if the court finds that he participated in the two primary elections simultaneously.

The plaintiff is relying on provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the Federal High Court (Pre-Election) Practice Directions in urging the court to grant the reliefs sought.

The legal action is the latest development in the growing controversies surrounding the APC’s governorship primary process in Kwara state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

MEDIA TODAY recalls that only recently, the elders caucus of the party in the state, declared Yakubu Danladi Salihu as unfit after his emergence in the controversial primary election as the gubernatorial candidate of the party, accusing Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of imposing him on the party.

However, another group in the state chapter of the party, dismissed the claim of the elders caucus and assured that he is eminently qualified to be the flag bearer of the party for the governorship election in 2027.

Political analysts and observers described the recent developments in the state chapter of the party as a major sign of implosion which could be detrimental to its performance in the general elections in the state.