Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, has denied claims that he has endorsed or submitted the name of any aspirant to succeed him, urging party members and stakeholders to disregard what he described as false reports.
The position of the Governor, who is a member of All Progressive Congress (APC) was conveyed in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Bashir Adigun, who said the allegation was malicious and aimed at blackmailing the Governor.
Adigun said there was no basis to the claim that any aspirant’s name had been forwarded to the President as the preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
“We reject the blackmail outright. It is false to suggest that the governor has submitted the name of any aspirant. Members and leaders of our party should ignore it,” he said.
He called on party stakeholders to remain focused and not be distracted by what he termed unfounded insinuations, stressing that the political process remains open and competitive.
According to him, all aspirants should market their ambitions through legitimate means rather than resorting to smear tactics.
“We urge party members and stakeholders to ignore the claims. All aspirants are encouraged to sell their legitimate aspirations to all relevant stakeholders. The time, energy, and resources being spent to blackmail others can be channelled into more productive efforts,” Adigun added.
The development followed growing speculations within political circles in the state over possible successors to Governor AbdulRazaq ahead of the 2027 elections, with different interest groups pushing narratives around alleged endorsements.
However, the governor, through his aide, maintained that he has not anointed any candidate and remains committed to allowing a fair and transparent process for all aspirants within the party.
It would be recalled that Governor AbdulRazaq recently disclosed that at least six aspirants within the APC are interested in succeeding him when his second term expires in May 2027.
Speaking during the party’s state congress in Ilorin, AbdulRazaq said the ruling party already had multiple aspirants jostling for the ticket but stressed that he had no anointed candidate.
Among those who have publicly declared their ambition are Senator Lola Ashiru, Senator Umar Sodiq Suleiman and Ambassador Yahaya Seriki.
Speaking during the recently held State Congress, the Governor said:
“For those who will contest and whoever eventually emerges, it is not about anyone anointing anybody.
“We are not here to build a dynasty; we are here to build a legacy. Whoever succeeds me will build on this foundation and strive to do better,” he said.
Although he did not directly address zoning, his remarks were widely interpreted as a response to succession debates, particularly calls for power rotation among the three senatorial districts.
He stressed that whoever eventually succeeds him would emerge through the party’s democratic process, urging aspirants to maintain unity and healthy competition ahead of the party primaries expected to precede the 2027 elections scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).