On Monday, the familiar chants of _Otoge_ echoed again through the streets of Ilorin. But this time, the battle cry that once swept Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq into power in 2019 was being turned against him.
Tens of thousands of supporters aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gathered under the banner of the Kwara APC G15 Coalition, declaring that the governor no longer commands the loyalty of the majority within the state’s ruling All Progressives Congress. For the coalition, the balance of power has shifted, and they say it is time to “reclaim the soul of the party.”
The solidarity walk began at the Geri-Alimi Underpass, snaked past the Emir’s Palace, and ended at the Post Office, drawing crowds that organizers described as proof of the governor’s waning grip. Placards bearing the president’s image and the word _Otoge_ bobbed above the sea of supporters.
“We are relaunching the Otoge Revolution,” a coalition leader told the crowd. “The same spirit that ended the Saraki dynasty must now rescue our party from exclusion and imposition.”
The symbolism was deliberate. In 2019, _Otoge_ — meaning “Enough is Enough” — became the rallying call that dismantled decades of political dominance by the Saraki family. Seven years later, the slogan is being repurposed by Tinubu loyalists who claim the ideals of that movement have been abandoned.
The coalition presents itself as a broad tent. It claims the backing of 10 former APC governorship aspirants, Kwara’s three serving senators, a majority of the state’s APC federal lawmakers, serving members of the State House of Assembly, the party’s Elders Caucus, and key youth and women leaders.
Among those present at Monday’s rally were Senator Saliu Mustapha of Kwara Central, a frontline gubernatorial aspirant; former senators Yahaya Oloriegbe, Lola Ashiru, and Umar Suleiman Sadiq; Dr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa; Amb. Yahaya Seriki Gambari; Barr. Dele Belgore, SAN; and several others including Hon. Yinka Aluko and Hon. Ismail Tijani.
Their message was unified: the APC in Kwara has drifted from the principles that powered its 2019 victory.
In a statement released after the march, the G15 accused Governor AbdulRazaq of discarding the core values of inclusion, internal democracy, accountability, and collective leadership that defined the original Otoge movement.
“History has placed upon us the responsibility of ensuring that the dreams and sacrifices of the Otoge Revolution are neither abandoned nor betrayed,” the coalition said.
The group argued that decision-making in the party has narrowed to a small circle, political participation has shrunk, and the governor “no longer represents the majority tendency” within the APC.
“We reject, unequivocally, the tyranny of a minority seeking to impose its will on the overwhelming majority of party members and the people of Kwara State,” the statement read. “Democracy derives its legitimacy from the consent of the majority, not from the preferences of a select few.”
*A 10-Point Agenda for 2027*
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, the coalition laid out 10 demands. They include rejection of flawed party primaries, the emergence of a broadly acceptable governorship candidate, a merit-based succession process, and inclusive party administration.
Other demands: an end to political godfatherism, respect for dissenting voices, accountable governance, genuine reconciliation anchored on justice, and stronger action against insecurity.
The G15 said it had recently consulted senior APC stakeholders and national leaders in Abuja on party unity in Kwara and the success of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. While reaffirming loyalty to the President, it called on him and the APC National Working Committee to back “a more inclusive and credible leadership process” in the state.
*Warnings and Echoes of 2019*
Addressing the media, Senator Saliu Mustapha urged the governor to embrace fairness and internal democracy. “Political structures built on exclusion and imposition rarely endure,” he said. “The people of Kwara have spoken before. They are speaking again. And when the time comes, their collective voice will once more determine the future of our state.”
The line deliberately mirrors the rhetoric of 2019, when _Otoge_ became a referendum on the old order. Now, the coalition is framing the current moment as a second reckoning.
*Silence From the Government House*
As of press time, the Kwara State Government had not responded to the coalition’s allegations.
But the implications of Monday’s march are clear: with less than two years to the next election cycle, the battle for the soul of Kwara APC has begun. And once again, _Otoge_ is the war cry.
Whether this relaunch will carry the same force it did in 2019 remains to be seen. What is certain is that the fault lines inside the ruling party are now out in the open, and the road to 2027 in Kwara will be defined by how those lines are managed.
