Former Senate President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Dr Bukola Saraki, has intensified consultations with aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), popularly known as the G-15, as political realignments gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections in Kwara State.

The development gained attention following a meeting between Saraki and the senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, at the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport in Ilorin.

Although the encounter was described as an accidental meeting, it occurred against the backdrop of growing contacts between Saraki's political camp, the PDP and members of the G-15, now known as The Otoge Progressives (TOP).

The G-15 comprises several prominent APC figures, including Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, Bashir Bolarinwa, Senator Oloriegbe and Alhaji Muyideen Salako, among others.

Sources familiar with the discussions said the PDP had authorised Saraki to engage the aggrieved APC bloc as part of efforts to build a broader political coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

One source close to the negotiations said the discussions were driven by the desire to unite politicians and groups opposed to the current political arrangement in the state.

"The discussion is going towards working together because we cannot leave our state to the governor. For now, no amount of sacrifice is too big to make to rescue our state. We have to work together with all the interested groups," the source said.

The source added that the parties were expected to have a clearer understanding of the proposed arrangement before November, with a major announcement expected by then.

A PDP insider also confirmed that discussions with the G-15 had progressed significantly, although no final agreement had been reached.

"We are having conversations and understanding which prompted the directive of the party to talk with them. We have our group and they have their own group and all of them are talking. And there is over 80 per cent of its workability," the source said.

According to the insider, the major outstanding issue was the terms of the proposed political partnership.

The G-15 is reportedly seeking concessions covering the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats, with one source claiming that discussions had included two senatorial seats, three House of Representatives seats and 10 state assembly seats.

An APC member familiar with the process said the G-15 negotiating team included former Commissioner for Water Resources AbdulMumini Katibi, Senator Sulieman Ajadi, Elders Caucus Chairman Christopher Ayeni and former Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe, among others.

The Saraki camp, meanwhile, was said to be led by former PDP National Chairman Alhaji Kawu Baraje, with former Kwara State Speakers Razak Atunwa and Ali Ahmad among those involved.

A member of the G-15 and former governorship aspirant, Alhaji Muyideen Salako, confirmed that meetings had taken place.

Salako said a possible alliance between the G-15 and the PDP in Kwara would not necessarily amount to opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the national level.

He maintained that the group could continue supporting Tinubu while working with the PDP to challenge the APC in the state.

However, Salako said the G-15's preferred option remained reconciliation within the APC, adding that the group had not ruled out any possibility, including negotiations over the governorship and other elective positions.

He also disclosed that another group of aggrieved politicians, identified as the G100, was monitoring the discussions.

According to him, many members of the G-15 would have preferred to resolve their differences within the APC but were pushed towards exploring alternatives by what they described as a failure of the party leadership to undertake genuine reconciliation.

Salako suggested that political alliances could also be reversed depending on the outcome of the 2027 elections.

"If their permutation is right and they win, they are likely to return to the APC, including Saraki. That is likely on the card," he said.

For Saraki, the emerging realignment could provide an opportunity to rebuild a broad political coalition without personally contesting an elective position, while the G-15 could help expand the PDP's reach beyond its traditional political base in the state.

However, political analysts have cautioned that the formation of an alliance would not automatically translate into electoral victory.

Professor Hassan Saliu, President of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs and Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Ilorin, said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq appeared confident in his ability to deliver the APC governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.

"Looking at the body language of the governor, he seems to be very sure of delivering his candidate, Danladi. Can he do it? Will he not be able to do it? I don't know. But that is the picture one is getting," he said.

Saliu also warned opposition politicians against underestimating the national structure of the APC, noting that the movement of aggrieved APC politicians into an opposition alliance would not necessarily guarantee victory.

The Kwara Central senatorial race is already emerging as a major area of interest in the negotiations.

Checks showed that Yinka Otukoko, ABS Director of Projects, is currently listed on the INEC portal as the PDP's Kwara Central senatorial candidate.

However, Otukoko reportedly described himself as a placeholder in a response to an APC Kwara South senatorial aspirant, Nurudeen Adeyemi, on the Kwara Commission WhatsApp platform.

"My ticket is for either Saliu Mustapha of G15 or Moshood Mustapha," he reportedly wrote.

If Saliu Mustapha eventually joins the PDP and secures its Kwara Central senatorial ticket, he could potentially face Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is expected to contest the seat on the APC platform.

The PDP's state publicity secretary, Olusegun Adewara, has also publicly praised Mustapha on social media.

Speaking on Thursday, Adewara confirmed that discussions with the G-15 were ongoing and described them as being at an advanced stage.

"The party is big enough to accommodate everybody. We are in talks with the G-15 and at an advanced stage," he said.

On who would eventually secure the Kwara Central senatorial ticket, Adewara said the matter had not yet reached that stage, adding that the party's elders and stakeholders would make the decision when the time comes.

"Discussion is ongoing," he added.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the negotiations between the PDP, Saraki's political camp and the G-15 could significantly reshape Kwara's political landscape if they culminate in a formal alliance.