APC Guber Race: Kwara South Group Rejects Claims of Insecurity-Driven Voter Decline
- A Kwara South group has refuted claims of insecurity driving residents away ahead of the APC governorship primaries
- The group, Joint Security Watch, emphasised local efforts to combat banditry and promote security in the region
- Election performance data shows Kwara South's political relevance remains strong within the APC, a leader of the group said
Abuja, FCT - A civil society group in Kwara South has pushed back against claims that banditry and kidnapping have forced residents out of the region and weakened its voter strength ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship contest.
Joint Security Watch Kwara South said in a statement made available to Legit.ng on Saturday, May 9, that the narrative was misleading and politically motivated, arguing that insecurity in parts of the region had been exaggerated to sideline the area politically.
Source: Twitter
“Banditry and kidnapping in Kwara entered through ungoverned forests and weak border points. They are not indigenous to Kwara South and do not define our people,” the group’s coordinator, Elder Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, said in a statement.
Kwara: Security measures helping residents return, group says
The group acknowledged that attacks had occurred in some communities but said incidents were mostly concentrated along isolated routes and settlements with limited security presence.
According to the statement, early deployment of intelligence gathering and joint security operations helped repel attacks in several affected areas, allowing displaced residents to return to their farms and businesses.
Joint Security Watch Kwara South said community-led patrols, ward-level early warning systems, air surveillance over identified hotspots, and coordinated operations involving the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local vigilantes were ongoing across Irepodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Offa local government areas.
“Kwara South is securing its land, protecting its people, and restoring normal life and economic activity. We will not accept the use of insecurity as a tool for political exclusion,” Oyin-Zubair said.
Group cites election results to defend political relevance
The group also cited previous election results to support its argument that Kwara South remained politically significant within the APC.
It said the region recorded stronger APC performance in the 2019 and 2023 elections than other parts of the state, claiming the party secured about 68% of votes in Kwara South compared with 35% in Kwara Central.
The statement comes amid growing political discussions ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Kwara state, with different blocs within the ruling party positioning for influence.
The group urged residents and the public to rely on verified information, insisting that Kwara South remained safe for farming, trading and political participation.
Source: Twitter
APC announces Tinubu's main challenger as consensus fails
In another report, the ruling APC has said that the party will be going for direct primaries and urged members across the country to come to Abuja and vote for their preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Ajibola Basiru, the national secretary of the APC, disclosed the development in a trending video on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
He added that the presidential primary will be contested between President Bola Tinubu and Osifo Stanley, a businessman from Edo state who purchased the N100 million APC presidential nomination forms.
Source: Legit.ng
