By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin
ILORIN — Youth political groups across the three senatorial districts of Kwara State have rallied support for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The groups, under the aegis of the Kwara North Integrity Youth Forum (KNIYF), Ilorin Emirate Dynamic Youths (IEDY) and Kwara South Young Professionals in Politics (KSYPIP), described Danladi as a popular and relatively young politician with years of experience in the state’s political and legislative affairs.
They made their position known in a joint statement signed by their respective coordinators, Aliyu Likofu, Abdulwaheed Olamilekan and Owoduni Rasheed Adekunle, and made available to journalists in Ilorin on Sunday.
The statement, titled, “As INEC Okays Danladi’s Bid Into Governorship Arena in Kwara,” said the 2027 election could mark an important moment in the state’s political development.
The groups said Danladi, 41, was entering the race with a political résumé spanning student activism, campaign organisation, political mobilisation and legislative politics.
Danladi was elected into the Kwara State House of Assembly in 2019 and became Speaker at the age of 34. Following his re-election in 2023, he returned as Speaker, further strengthening his position in the state’s political landscape, the groups said.
They argued that his experience in the legislature had prepared him for the demands of executive leadership.
“A Speaker manages a chamber, builds consensus among lawmakers and exercises oversight over the executive. A governor controls the executive machinery, manages public finances, directs policy and must build a statewide political coalition,” they said.
The youth groups said Danladi’s political journey was also significant because several young politicians who are now prominent in Kwara emerged through political mobilisation preceding the 2019 change of government.
They credited the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq with creating opportunities for younger people through appointments to the cabinet and other public offices.
“The governor has repeatedly promoted youth participation as part of his governing philosophy, preparatory to their future leadership responsibility, which is now here,” they said.
The groups said Danladi’s governorship bid represented the next stage of that process, adding that his experience would enable him to consolidate the achievements of the present administration.
They also pointed to the longstanding demand for power rotation among the state’s political zones, saying the issue would be a factor in the 2027 contest.
The groups consequently urged youths across the state to support the APC candidate, arguing that the party currently controls the state and has grassroots structures across the 16 local government areas.
“The continuity of the stream of achievements of the current administration is uppermost in our hearts, so we are appealing to the youth, who are more in the population statistics, to support one of their own, who will identify with their cause and make life more prosperous and abundant for them,” they said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Engr. Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu, from Kwara Central, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Zakari Mohammed, from Kwara North, are among the other major contenders in the race.
The groups expressed confidence that Danladi’s age, political experience and familiarity with the state’s political structure would strengthen his bid for the governorship in 2027.
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