Aug 6, 2026

Saraki Opens Talks with Disgruntled Kwara APC G15 for PDP Backing in 2027

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in politics

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Ilorin / Abuja – August 6, 2026 — Former Senate President Bukola Saraki is set to hold discussions with a faction of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, known as the Kwara APC G15, in a strategic bid to secure their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Saraki received the green light to commence the talks after a two-day meeting with PDP stakeholders on Wednesday and Thursday.

The discussions will focus particularly on mmobilizingsupport for the PDP’s governorship ambition in the state.

The G15 is a powerful bloc of aggrieved APC leaders and aspirants unhappy with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s handling of the party’s governorship primary.

The primary produced Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as the APC candidate.

The group comprises about 10 governorship aspirants, three serving APC senators, several House of Representatives members, and other influential party figures.

Notable members include Senators Saliu Mustapha, Sadiq Umar and Lola Ashiru, as well as Yahaya Oloriegbe, Chief Dele Belgore (SAN), Salman Jawondo (SAN), Ambassador Yahaya Seriki-Gambari, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, and others.

While the G15 has publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election, its members remain deeply dissatisfied with the state chapter’s leadership and candidate selection process.

They have accused the governor of exclusion and unilateral decision-making, warning that the crisis could undermine the APC’s prospects in Kwara.

Sources indicate that the G15 is expected to table demands during the talks with Saraki.

Political compensation, including possible Senate seats and other positions, is reportedly under discussion as part of any potential realignment toward the PDP.

For Saraki and the Kwara PDP, the outreach represents a significant opportunity. The party has recently achieved greater internal cohesion after governorship aspirants agreed to a consensus arrangement under Saraki’s leadership.

The former Senate President has ruled out personal ambition for 2027 but has committed to helping the PDP reclaim the state.

Kwara politics has long been defined by the rivalry between the Saraki political structure and the forces that ousted it in the 2019 “O to Ge” revolution that brought Governor AbdulRazaq to power.

Seven years later, cracks within the ruling APC have created an opening that the opposition is eager to exploit.

Analysts note that any significant defection or informal support from members of the G15 could shift the balance in a state where party structures and elite networks still carry considerable weight.

As the discussions begin, both the APC hierarchy and the PDP will be watching closely. For Saraki, success would mark a major step in rebuilding opposition strength in Kwara.

For the G15, the talks offer leverage — and a possible alternative path — in a high-stakes succession battle that is already reshaping the state’s political landscape.