A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state and Dan’Iya of Kaiama, Prince Haliru Dantsoho, Thursday, warned that the party stands losing the 2027 governorship election if it zones its ticket to Kwara North.
Dantsoho spoke recently on TVC Primetime programme while explaining his decision to step down for a candidate from Kwara Central senatorial district shortly before declaring his ambition.
“Politics is about numbers, not emotions or social media agitation. “When you need something from the majority, you appeal, persuade, and build consensus, you don’t confront them,” Dantsoho said.
He said Kwara Central remains the most populous voting bloc in the state, followed by Kwara North and then Kwara South, adding that any strategy that ignores this reality could be costly for the ruling party.
The former state youth leader of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) recalled that he had long championed the agitation for power shift to Kwara North, in his PDP days.
He said while the zone got the ticket in 2023, its people failed to rally behind its own candidate.
“If the agitation for Kwara North governorship was truly about collective interest and not personal ambition, that was the best time everyone should have united, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.
Condemning the confrontational approach by some proponents of the zoning agenda and warned that antagonising other regions could only weaken the North’s chances.
“Instead of appealing to stakeholders, what we see today is confrontation, especially on social media. That is not how to win political support,” he added.
Dantsoho noted the sharp divisions among aspirants from Kwara North, citing instances where supporters of aspirants such as Yakubu Danladi, Senator Sadiq Umar, Makama Lafiagi and Daudu, are perpetually locked in rivalry.
“By now, the North should have produced a consensus candidate, but the divisions are too deep. Each camp believes the other would lead the party to defeat,” he said.
“If APC zones to the North and PDP presents a Central candidate, APC will lose, let’s be honest,” he stated.
