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BATTLE FOR AHMADU BELLO HOUSE
Salihu Yakubu Danladi has what it takes to govern Kwara, argues MUSTAPHA BALOGUN
On 27 July 2026, a Banquet Hall in Ilorin echoed with a chant. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq stood before young APC supporters at the party’s Youth Engagement programme, themed “One Kwara Project, One Voice; Youths Driving APC Victory 2027.” He led them in the chant: “SYD! SYD!! SYD!!!”
A sitting governor does not lead a chant for just anybody. To understand why he did, you have to go back to where the story began. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, born in 1985 into the royal lineage of Gwanara, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara North, did not start in politics. He started with circuits and systems. But Engineering was never the whole story. But it teaches how systems hold together.
In 2019, Danladi became Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, one of the most demanding offices in any state. A Speaker must manage competing interests, keep the House disciplined and hold the executive to account without undermining the working relationship that governance requires.
The numbers tell part of the story. Under his leadership, the Ninth and Tenth Assemblies passed 63 bills and considered more than 100 motions of public importance, while maintaining regular oversight of ministries, departments and agencies. The laws include the Kwara State Public Procurement Law, the Social Investment Programme Law and the Sports Commission Law (both 2019), the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Law, 2019, and the Electric Power Sector Law, 2025. Annual appropriation acts were passed on time, giving Governor AbdulRazaq’s reforms a steady legislative backbone. His influence soon extended beyond Ilorin as he chaired the APC Conference of Speakers in Nigeria from 2024 to 2026, and in 2026 served on the Election Appeal Committee of the APC National Convention.
But leadership is not measured by titles alone. It’s true test is what changes in the lives of the people, particularly in the communities farthest from power.
In Baruten, his interventions in water supply have helped improve access to clean and safe water, easing the burden on households and communities. He also contributed to the realisation of key road projects, including the Ilesha-Gwanara Road, while supporting the grading and opening of feeder roads. These interventions have improved connectivity, eased transportation, opened up rural communities and strengthened access to markets, farms and essential services.
On security, the upgrading of the NSCDC outpost in Gwanara to a Divisional Office has strengthened the security presence in the area. He also facilitated the training and equipping of community hunters and vigilantes, improving their capacity to support local security efforts. Many of those trained have since been seconded to the National Forest Security Service.
Access to basic infrastructure has also improved, with solar-powered systems and streetlights providing illumination in selected villages, while some communities have gained access to grid electricity. Renovated and furnished primary healthcare centres have improved access to medical services, while telecommunications facilities have connected previously underserved communities.
In education, the establishment of the Federal Science and Technical College in Gwanara and the completion of the KWASU Ilesha-Baruba campus have expanded access to higher and technical education within the region. Investments in school infrastructure, scholarships and examination sponsorship have further supported students. Farmers have benefited from agricultural inputs and equipment, while artisans, cultural troupes and women’s groups have received support to strengthen their livelihoods. The provision of motorcycles, vehicles, employment opportunities and political appointments has also extended his interventions to different segments of the community.
Which brings us back to that chant in Ilorin. Kwara has existed for more than 50 years, and no youthful Speaker has ever gone on to succeed a sitting governor. SYD’s candidacy would also give Kwara North, a region central to the state’s agricultural economy, geographical spread, and electoral landscape, an opportunity to produce the next governor. For many in the State of Harmony, that speaks to equity, fairness, and justice.
Voters will decide, as they should. Campaigns run from 9 September 2026 to 4 February 2027. But look again at the man at the door of Ahmadu Bello House: engineer, administrator, legislator, national party figure and grassroots politician. At 41, SYD brings years of public service, political experience and a clear understanding of the aspirations of a new generation. His story is not just about age; it is about experience, capacity and the opportunity to shape Kwara’s next chapter.
Balogun writes from Ilorin
