Aspirants from Kwara North Senatorial District, North Central Nigeria jostling for the 2027 governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State have resolved to work together to ensure that the ticket does not elude the region.
The aspirants are the Senator representing Kwara North Senatorial District Sadiq Sulaiman Umar; Speaker Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, Makama Lafiagi Alhaji Tajudeen Audu and Dan Iyan of Kaiama, Prince Haliru Mahmud Dantosho.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held in Ilorin at the instance of the members of the state APC Working Committee from Kwara North led by the Deputy Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari, the aspirants appealed to the people of Kwara Central and Kwara South to support the advocacy of Kwara North in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.
Addressing the aspirants, the Deputy Chairman of the party, Alhaji Samari said the leaders from the zone found it necessary to discuss and chart a course and work on the only variable that will ensure that the position will not elude the region.
“We are having an in-house discussion with those we have seen so far who have shown interest in the number one position of Kwara State. As members of the same house, it is proper for us to sit down together, to discuss and chart a course, and work on the only variable that will ensure that the position will not elude us.
“It is possible that we have more aspirants from Kwara North because the go ahead from the party is yet to be given . So, we are not excluding anybody. We are only working on the basis of those we know for now. This type of meeting will continue if others also show interest.
“The purpose of the meeting is to put our house in order and to let the whole world know that Kwara North is prepared and ready to take over from the current Governor His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and continue his good work. We want to surprise Kwarans that the Kwara North candidate who will be the Governor of Kwara State will perform wonders because we have materials.”
Samari assured members of the party that the guidelines of APC would be followed to produce candidates for the party.
“Principally, the party has guidelines and these will be followed before a candidate will emerge. But members of the State Working Committee of APC have the responsibility to sit down together and chart a new course with the aspirants from the region.
We are telling the world that those aspiring from Kwara North are people with enough wisdom, fear of Almighty God, people with the love of the masses over whom we have resolved to henceforth work together,” he said.
“So, we need the support of our brothers from the other senatorial districts to make this happen. We cannot do it alone. We appeal to them to concede the ticket to Kwara North. We are ready to work for Kwara and Kwarans.”
Senator Sadiq Umar, for his part, asked members of the party across board to trust Kwara Northerners and give them opportunity to also govern the state.
“We are united in Kwara North. We are not divided, we are the same family. For us in Kwara North, we are hungry for this position in the interest of Kwara first and of course our region. There is no division among us. We are brothers,” the Senator said.
The Speaker Kwara State House of Assembly Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu also appealed to the people of Kwara South and Central to support the northern zone of the state to have the gubernatorial ticket in 2027.
“All of us from Kwara North are one. We are united and by God’s grace, we will reach that destination. We are only pleading to Kwara South and Central to support the northern zone of the state to have the gubernatorial ticket. It is God’s project and by His grace we shall succeed. May Almighty Allaah guide us,” the Speaker noted.
Makama of Lafiagi Alhaji Tajudeen Audu implored all Kwarans to support the region in the interest of the state, saying the Kwara North aspirants are pan-Kwara.
“This is a family meeting. All of us stand united. No question of disunity among us. We are all united in a single cause of producing governorship from our zone in 2027,” he added.
Dan Iyan Kaiama, Haliru Mahmud Dantosho, debunked rumours that Kwara North is divided over the 2027 gubernatorial ticket, saying that the region stands united and anyone emerges as the candidate of the party from region would be supported 100%.
“I want to appreciate our leaders for creating this forum for us to speak in one forum. I want to say clearly that we are one in Kwara North. We are one. We are connected by blood. Biologically, we are connected.
Historically, we are connected. Spiritually, we are connected and socially, we are connected. We will not disappoint the state when we get there.
“Considering the time Kwara Central has been governing this state and the eight years the South has governed, it is good that the Kwara North is given the opportunity in the interest of justice, equity and fairness. I want to thank His Excellency for working for fairness, equity and justice,” Dantosho said.
The meeting was attended by members of the State Working Committee from Kwara North, including the Senatorial chairman and the party’s chairmen from the five local government areas of Kwara North Senatorial District.