2027 general elections are less than two years across Nigeria. But the fever of the election has started catching up with many in Kwara state.

In deed, the agitation for the governorship seat to shift to Kwara North senatorial district has become strident and momentous.

Youths from Kwara North have been at the forefront of the clamour for power to change hand to the region.

Expectedly, some groups have opposed the zoning idea, arguing that the best candidate should be allowed to emerged seamlessly from any of the senatorial districts of the state.

Right from the onset, current Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq had promised to hand over reins of power to somebody from the north, but the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had ruled out fielding a candidate from the district.

PDP fielded Alhaji Abdullahi Yama, Kwara northerner as its governorship candidate in the 2023 election. His kinsmen did not support him. They claimed it was not yet their turn.

Predictably, the three notable politicians from Kwara North that have indicated interest in the governorship race are from APC.

They are Senator Umar Sodiq, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu and Alhaji Tajudeen Audu.

Sodiq is currently representing Kwara North in the Senate; Hon Salihu is the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Audu is the Makama of Lafiagi.

Though, the governorship hopefuls had reached an agreement to support anyone that lands the APC ticket.

Curiously too, no politician from either Kwara Central or Kwara South has indicated interest in the race.

Leading the clamour for power to get to Kwara North in 2027 is a group known as Kwara North Youth Consultative Forum (KNYCF).

The forum had accordingly engaged its youths counterparts in the central and southerner districts for support and understanding in the interest of justice, fairness and equity.

KNYCF’s Chairman, Dr. Abduldayan Haruna hinted that the Kwara North governorship aspiration is not a sectional cause but a collective quest for justice.

“Our demand is simple and sincere – Kwara North has stood with others over the years; now, it is our turn to be supported. This is about fairness, inclusion, and the unity of Kwara State,” he said.

Corroborating the chair, the forum’s Spokesperson Nura Muhammed restated the historical and political bonds between Kwara North and the Ibolo land, emphasizing the importance of equity in sustaining harmony in the state.

He observed that while Kwara central had occupied the governorship seat for over 20 years and Kwara South for eight years, Kwara North has yet to produce a governor in the state’s 26-year democratic history.”

Traditional rulers of Kwara North extraction have lent their royal voices to the clamour.

They therefore, urged all political parties in the state to zone their governorship seat to the senatorial district during the 2027 elections.

The insisted that it is the turn of the region to produce the next governor of the state.

The monarchs under the aegis of Kwara state Council of Chiefs and Obas, said this at a meeting to deliberate on the prevailing security situation in Kwara North region.

The meeting took place at the palace of Etsu Patigi, who is the Vice Chair of the council, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II.

The engagement, with the theme “Kwara North Unity, Security and Way Forward – Project 2027.”

In a communique at the end of the engagement signed by Etsu Bologi, Emir of Lafiagi, Muhammed Umar Kudu Kawu, Emir of Kaiama Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar (Kiyaru iV), Etsu Tsaragi: HRH Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi Kpotwa, Emir of Okuta Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu Serobeteye, Emir of Ilesha Baruba Alhaji (Prof) Halidu Abubakar and Oba of Jebba Oba Abdulkadir Adebara said “that in the spirit of fairness, equity, and justice, it is the rightful turn of Kwara North to produce the next governor of Kwara State in 2027.”

They identified unity as the strongest tool for achieving this aspiration, urging stakeholders to set aside past differences and work together in the collective interest of the region.

The communique also “resolved that alliances must be built with Kwara Central and Kwara South, and that advocacy be extended beyond the state—particularly to Abuja, national party leadership, and other critical political actors.

“The priority at this stage is ensuring that political parties zone their governorship ticket to Kwara North, and stakeholders committed to supporting the processes and ultimately the Kwara North candidate who emerges.”

The monarchs took their message of equity and fairness to their Kwara South counterparts through a town hall meeting.

Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Umar Bologi ll, said the engagement was aimed at strengthening unity and developing a coordinated security framework for communities across both senatorial districts.

The first-class monarch reminded the gathering that since the return of democracy in 1999, Kwara South and Kwara Central have both produced governors while Kwara North has not.

He appealed for Kwara South’s support in ensuring equity and political inclusion in 2027.

Kwara South monarchs described the request as fair and deserving.

In his remarks, Chairman of Kwara South Traditional Rulers, Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu, said the meeting was “historic and a welcome development.”

On his part, Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Muhammed Gbadamosi said that Kwara North was not asking for too much by seeking their support.

The Alofa of Illofa, Oba Engr. Samuel Niyi Dada; the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Oladele Adeoti; and the Elese of Igbaja, Oba (Dr.) Ahmed Babalola Awuni, also praised the engagement, saying it was one of the most impactful in recent times.

Group known as Kwara Integrity Movement (KIM) countered and said the 2027 governorship election in Kwara state is open to any of the three senatorial districts.

KIM added that such agitation would amount to “reducing Kwara to zoning politics.”

KIM Chairman, Hon. Oniwara Babatunde said that “Kwara requires the best minds, the boldest ideas and the strongest leadership not sectional leader.”

Hon Babatunde encouraged every qualified, credible and visionary Kwaran from any of the three senatorial districts to step forward and contest the 2027 governorship election.

Said he: “Our position is clear, we want a free, open and competitive 2027 governorship election.

“KIM believes elections must be open to all; merit must defeat mediocrity; leadership must be chosen by competence not geography and Kwara needs a governor for all.

“As a people, we must reject any arrangement that undermines democracy, reduces leadership to ethnicity or cages political opportunity within artificial boundaries.”

Continuing, KIM chair added that “the agitation for zoning raises fundamental questions that Kwarans must ask boldly: For whom is the zoning agitation being championed? Is it genuinely for the people of Kwara North or for personal ambition of a few? Does the agitation suggest that past and present governments have been unjust to Kwara North? Is this zoning being presented as a compensation or entitlement?

“At this point, it is important to raise a serious danger that is quietly creeping into our political culture– the coercion of our traditional rulers into partisan politics.

“Our highly revered obas and emirs travelling across the state for political lobby and advocacy should be totally avoided. Today, it is the traditional rulers, tomorrow the religious leaders and civil servants may follow suit. These are highly revered institutions that must be insulated from partisan politics.

Another group of APC Members in the state under the aegis of the Kwara Political Leaders of Thought (KPLOT) called on the national leadership of the APC not to impose governorship candidate on the state come 2027 general elections.

The group led by Mohammed Mariam Alhassan, also said that ideal leader for the in 2027 can come from any district of the state, adding that 2027 governorship should not be based on zoning.

The APC group advised the party’s national leadership and the presidency to be cautious on issue of who becomes Kwara state governorship candidate in the 2027 general elections.

Alhassan said 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 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.

“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 group also said that the ideal leader for Kwara in 2027 can come from anywhere; North, South, or Central, adding that, “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.

The people 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”. (The Nation)

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