A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, Prof. Wale Sulaiman, has said the lingering dispute over the party’s governorship primary reflects personal ambition. Moreover, he believes it is not a concern for the people.
According to The Punch, Sulaiman said this during an interview on Thursday. In the interview, he criticised the direction of political debate in the state.
He said politicians in Kwara should focus on policies that can improve the lives of residents. Instead, they are fighting over power and political entitlement.
Sulaiman said the agitation by some dissatisfied aspirants under the G-15 platform had shifted attention away from major issues affecting the state. These issues include insecurity, unemployment, poverty and poor infrastructure.
“I think it is rather unfortunate that we have grown men fighting like schoolchildren whose principal has denied them candy. The debate should be about the needs of our people, not about a sense of political entitlement,” he said.
The former aspirant said Kwara needs leaders who can present clear solutions to the problems facing residents. Especially, he highlighted insecurity and joblessness.
“Kwara is one of the states badly affected by insecurity. People have vacated their villages, farmers cannot go to their farms, women struggle to go to markets, and unemployment remains very high,” he said.
He added that the political conversation should focus on how to create jobs, improve education, strengthen security and develop infrastructure.
“Nobody has really come out to say, ‘This is how I will tackle insecurity, create jobs, improve education, or develop infrastructure.’ The debate has become about who wants to be governor because they want to be king,” he said.
Sulaiman said he had always viewed politics as a platform for service and development, not personal gain.
“I have never fought for any position because of self-gratification. I have always believed our people deserve better, and I have always engaged in politics based on issues,” he said.
Speaking on the APC primary disputes, Sulaiman said all aspirants willingly participated in the party’s internal process. Therefore, they should respect the outcome.
“The process was there for everybody to see. Once the game has been played and a winner declared, people cannot suddenly begin to fault the process simply because it did not favour them,” he said.
He questioned whether those complaining would have rejected the same process if they had emerged as winners.
“If those complaining today had emerged through the same process, would they have rejected the nomination? I don’t think so,” he added.
Sulaiman said members of the G-15 should have raised objections before the party produced its candidate. However, they waited until after the conclusion of the exercise.
He also referenced President Bola Tinubu’s position that APC governors would play a major role in choosing their successors. Additionally, he said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq remains the recognised leader of the party in Kwara.
“The President made it clear that governors would choose their successors. In Kwara, the governor is the leader of the party. If there were laid-down guidelines that were breached, those complaining should have pointed them out,” he said.
The former aspirant said politics should remain a tool for good governance. He recalled that his Kwara Prosperity Agenda focused on security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and youth employment.
Despite the APC primary disputes, Sulaiman expressed confidence that the ruling party would remain united ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He said the opposition would struggle to defeat the APC because residents could compare the party’s performance with previous administrations.
“When it comes to campaigns, there is nothing the opposition can say that can beat the APC at the polls. Our people are intelligent and can compare performances,” he said.
Sulaiman added that Kwara North, Kwara Central and Kwara South would eventually work together. As a result, they will secure victory for the APC in 2027.
“Based on the performance of the APC and what I know about our people, I believe the party will still carry the day in 2027,” he said.
