Abubakar Suleiman, director-general of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks jeopardising its political hold on Kwara state if it zones its 2027 governorship ticket to Kwara north.
Suleiman made the remarks on Friday in a statement addressing the zoning debate in Kwara state.
He acknowledged that power rotation remains an important mechanism for inclusion and balance among the three senatorial districts in the state.
Suleiman said zoning must align with electoral realities rather than being treated as an end in itself.
“For any political party, the primary objective is victory. Zoning that undermines that objective becomes counterproductive,” he said.
Suleiman said political parties typically rely on measurable factors such as voter population, historical voting patterns, grassroots structures, and candidate viability when deciding where to zone a ticket.
He warned that zoning to a region where those variables are weak could pose a strategic risk.
Reflecting on the 2023 general election, Suleiman said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered electoral setbacks after zoning its governorship ticket to Kwara north.
“And the same PDP, with all intelligence, is trying to correct its past mistakes now by taking power back to Central this time around,” he said.
Suleiman cautioned that repeating similar political calculations could be costly for the APC in the state.
“It will be suicidal on the side of APC. It will be a major risk, an unpardonable risk, if out of love, emotion, sentiment, we decided to sink in the same hole,” he said.
He called for a broader consensus within the party ahead of the 2027 election.
Suleiman said unity across Kwara north, central, and south is critical to the party’s electoral success.