On the Call for Shifting Ground in Reconciliation: Are Yahaya Seriki and Danladi Not Both Known as Governor AbdulRahman’s Boys

 *On the Call for Shifting Ground in Reconciliation: Are Yahaya Seriki and Danladi Not Both Known as Governor AbdulRahman’s Boys?*

I have read the response from my brother, Ibitoye Ayorinde, to my earlier article on the requirements for true reconciliation within the APC in Kwara State. I note with appreciation his clear agreement that Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq remains the leader of the party in the state—a fact he rightly describes as undisputed among the overwhelming majority of members. His contribution, however, raises important points that deserve careful examination.

He argues that reconciliation requires a shifting of ground, with the view that “nobody should take all the positions.” While the desire for inclusivity is understandable, this framing risks misrepresenting the situation on the ground. To many party members in Kwara, it suggests a false equivalence between those who accepted the party’s processes and those who rejected them after the fact.

It is important to state clearly that the Kwara APC was not divided into organised factions before the primaries. The majority of contestants maintained cordial relations with the Governor and participated in the process with the hope that the outcomes would favour them. The grouping that later emerged did so only after the primaries, as a platform of those who did not secure the tickets. The question therefore arises: should those who chose to challenge the party’s decision after the process now be treated as a distinct APC faction for special compensation, while others who accepted the results are treated as belonging to another APC faction?

Consider the examples of senior party members who demonstrated discipline. Professor Wale Suleiman accepted the nomination of Yayah Serik and equally respected the primary results that favoured Danladi. Engineer Nurudeen Adeyemi and others similarly aligned with the party’s position. To imply that those who rejected the outcomes displayed greater wisdom or entitlement than these honourable members is difficult to sustain.

Both Danladi and Yayah Serik have long been recognised within the APC as close associates of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The decision of one to accept endorsement and the reluctance of another to fully yield does not, by itself, transform either into the leader of a separate faction. The fundamental principle remains unchanged: when two or more persons compete for a single position, only one can emerge successful. Describing those who contested and lost—many of them previously close allies of the Governor—as simply “those who feel left out,” and suggesting that further concessions are required to reassure them of their stake in the party, risks turning reconciliation into a reward for non-acceptance of legitimate outcomes.

Reconciliation is necessary and desirable. Sacrifices will be required on all sides if the party is to move forward united. Yet such reconciliation must not become an incentive for rebellion or a reward for rejecting the results of a concluded process. This is not a contest between entrenched factions. It is a matter of contestants who declined to accept the verdict of the primaries.

Yes, I completely agree that successful reconciliation will rest on a collective commitment to the larger electoral goal ahead but it is important to note that recognition of party leadership and respect for concluded processes are the two pillars which lasting reconciliation can stand as the Yoruba adage reminds us: *A f’agba f’enikan ni o j’aiye o gun*.

Wishing the ongoing efforts well.

Just passing by as usual.

Bisi Kristien