The All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in Kwara State was unexpectedly postponed on Thursday while voting was still taking place in several wards across the state.
The sudden development reportedly caused confusion among delegates and party members, many of whom were still actively participating in the process when the announcement surfaced.
The postponement was confirmed in a statement released by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Abdulwaheed Babatunde, who disclosed that the primary earlier scheduled for May 21 would now hold on Friday, May 22.
Party leaders called on aspirants, delegates and supporters to remain calm and cooperate with the party ahead of the rescheduled exercise.
However, the abrupt decision immediately sparked reactions within the party, especially because voting had already commenced in different centres before the exercise was halted.
Sources within the APC linked the development to rising tension among governorship aspirants following Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s endorsement of Ambassador Yahaya Seriki as his preferred successor for the 2027 governorship race.
Although the governor stated that other aspirants were still free to contest, insiders said the endorsement unsettled some camps within the party, leading to fresh consultations and alliance talks among aggrieved aspirants and their supporters.
There were also reports that influential figures from Kwara South had intensified efforts to unite behind a consensus candidate ahead of the new primary date.
Before the election was suspended, early reports from some voting centres suggested that Seriki was already recording strong support in parts of the state.
