Kwara 2027: Stakeholders Reject Zoning, Demand Competent Leadership

 Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

A group  within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Political Leaders of Thought (KPLOT), has called for competence of gubernatorial candidate of the party rather than zoning arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections in the state.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin yesterday, the group said that the leadership of the party should root for the ideal personality across the three senatorial districts of the state so as to move the state forward.

The spokesman of the group, Hon. Mohammed Mariam Alhassan said that, “the ideal leader for Kwara in 2027 can come from anywhere; North, South, or Central and should not be determined on zoning arrangement.”

He said, “If the best and most capable candidate emerges from the North, we must not hesitate to support such a person.”

 “If that candidate comes from the South, the same principle must apply. If competence and capacity reside in the Central, we must equally embrace it.

“At this critical moment, limiting our choices based on zoning or primordial sentiment is dangerous, and the consequences will be borne by all Kwarans,” he said.

Alhassan stated that, “the  party’s national leadership and the Presidency should be cautious on the issue of who becomes Kwara State governorship candidate in the 2027 general elections.

“The stakeholders should be guided on the rightful choice of the gubernatorial candidate that will represent the APC on the ballot.”

Alhassan added that, “Kwara State is practically at war, especially due to insecurity challenges in some parts of the state, ” adding that, “wars are not won by convenience or sentiment, but by deliberate strategic, and competent leadership. 

“Kwara is confronted today with realities that leave us with no room for emotional politics, convenient assumptions, or

premature conclusions.” 

The APC leader added, “The present reality demands sobriety, honesty, and courage. It requires that our political decisions be driven by capacity, competence, and character -not by sentiment or turn-by-turn calculations

“From Edu to Patigi, Ifelodun to Isin, and from Ekiti to Kaiama, Kwara State has, regrettably, become an epicentre of banditry and terrorism, a situation unprecedented in the history of our state. 

“While we admit and commend both the Government of Kwara State led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak and the federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their sustained efforts at stemming the tide, we hearken to say that communities are still under siege, livelihoods are still threatened, and the sense of safety that once defined Kwara has been gravely eroded.”

“In the face of this crisis, it is no longer acceptable to approach leadership selection the way we might have done in more stable times. If Kwara once had the luxury of making sentimental political choices, that luxury no longer exists.

“The leadership question before us is no longer about where a candidate comes from, but who that candidate is. Who has the competence to confront insecurity? Who has the capacity to rebuild confidence in governance? Who has the courage, experience, and vision to navigate Kwara out of its present challenges and secure its future? 

“These are the questions occupying the minds of ordinary Kwarans across the state not the narrow, primordial sentiments being promoted by a section of the political class,” he said.

The spokesman also called on traditional rulers in the state to steer clear of partisan politics and political agitations and permutations, saying that, “the throne derives its strength from neutrality, moral authority, and the trust of all subjects, irrespective of their political leanings. 

“Once a royal institution is dragged into partisan battles, it risks losing its unifying essence and the sacred distance that commands reverence. Monarchs must remember that their domains are home to people of diverse and often conflicting political interests; aligning with one tendency, no matter the temptation or promised reward, inevitably alienates others and erodes the sanctity of the stool.”