Supporters of the All Progressives Congress in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State have endorsed the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and thrown their weight behind the governorship aspiration of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu Danladi.
The supporters, who trooped out in their hundreds on Sunday, staged a rally at the council secretariat and other strategic locations in Bode-Saadu area, attracting party stakeholders, loyalists, and residents to affirm their political stance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing the gathering, the Executive Chairperson of Moro Local Government Area, Mariam Abdulwasiu, said the rally was convened to demonstrate the collective will of the people.
“We have gathered here today to endorse the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and also throw our support behind the governorship aspiration of the Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker, Saliu Yakubu Danladi.
“We are also agitating for the zoning of the House of Representatives ticket to Moro under the platform of APC come 2027,” she said.
Speaking further on behalf of the chairperson, a former INEC commissioner in Kwara State, Ishola Ajibade, lauded the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, citing his developmental strides across the state.
“Today, APC members of Moro local government have gathered here to appreciate our leader, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his leadership and developmental strides across the state,” he said.
He further highlighted the achievements of the AbdulRazaq administration, noting improvements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, and human capital development.
According to him, sustaining these gains requires a successor who shares the governor’s vision and has worked closely with him.
“Moro local government APC members, having considered several factors and who should sustain Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s good legacies, and coupled with the power shift agitation of the people of Kwara North who haven’t held the Governorship seat since 1999, hereby endorse the current Speaker, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, as our preferred Governorship aspirant for the 2027 general election,” Ajibade declared.
He described Danladi as a seasoned leader who has presided over a productive and rancour-free legislature for eight years, fostering collaboration among arms of government and strengthening inter-state legislative relationships as chairman of the Nigerian Conference of APC Speakers.
Also speaking, a former Deputy Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Mathew Okedare, praised the leadership of the council chairperson and justified the endorsement of Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“Under the leadership of our LGA Chairperson, Alhaja Mariam Abdulwasiu, a competent leader who has demonstrated remarkable commitment to the welfare of our people, we hereby endorse Tinubu’s second term bid.
“This is because he’s the first president who has always made allocations available to the state, which has made easy payment of salaries, and project financing,” he said.
Okedare noted that while the constitution does not permit a third term for the incumbent governor, the stakeholders have chosen Danladi as a worthy successor.
He also raised concerns over the marginalisation of Kwara North in federal representation.
“We are pleading to the party and the governor to give Kwara North a chance at the green chamber under APC,” he added.
In his remarks, a former lawmaker Babatunde Paku declared that the region was determined to produce the next governor of the state.
“The agenda is on, and Kwara North will produce the next governor. We want SYD to continue with the legacy of the AbdulRazaq-led administration,” he said.
Paku described AbdulRazaq’s performance as unmatched in recent times, stressing that continuity was essential to preserving the foundation already laid.
“This is why we want Danladi, a young, energetic, responsible, decent, well-brought-up son of Kwara North, to become the next governor. We have gotten a capable hand to handle the job,” he said.
Adding a historical perspective, the Council Secretary of Moro LGA, Nura Muhammed, argued that equity, fairness, and justice demand that Kwara North produce the next governor.
“If I take you back in history since the creation of APC, the people of Kwara Central have governed the state for a complete 20 years, while the people of Kwara South have ruled for 8 years,” he said.
He further pointed out the voting strength of the region in previous elections as justification for its demand.
“In 2019, we gave 83.5 per cent of our votes to APC. In 2023, we gave 78 per cent to the same party.
“As such, we want the successor of Governor AbdulRazaq to come from Kwara North, and we have only one capable hand in the person of Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi,” Muhammed stated.
The stakeholders concluded the rally by reaffirming their loyalty to the APC leadership in the state and at the national level, expressing confidence that their endorsements would shape the political direction of Kwara ahead of the 2027 elections.
