2027: Group warns Kwara guber aspirants against endorsements

A socio-cultural group in Kwara, Orisun Igbomina, has called on governorship aspirants ahead of the 2027 elections to engage with people and articulate their vision for the state rather than relying on political endorsements.

In a statement by its national president, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, the group urged aspirants, particularly, those from the Kwara South and Kwara North senatorial districts to declare their ambitions and consult with citizens.

According to the group, many aspirants from the two districts had been passive, adding that they had instead chosen to lobby influential power blocs in Abuja and other political centres, while waiting for endorsement from corridors of power, including the state governor.

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Orisun Igbomina warned that such a strategy could prove counter-productive, saying that the imposition of candidates will not succeed in the state’s political climate ahead 2027.

The group expressed concern that aspirants from the Kwara Central senatorial district had appeared more politically active and better prepared for the contest. It noted that several aspirants from the district including those from opposition parties had begun consultations across communities, meeting stakeholders and mobilising grassroots support beyond social media razzmatazz.

According to the group, leaving the political field largely uncontested at this stage could give aspirants from Kwara Central a strategic advantage.

“If eventually the political pendulum swings in their direction, no one should blame them because they are the ones currently engaging the people and taking the process seriously,” the statement said.

The group also reflected on the experience of former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who became governor in 2011 from Kwara South district.

According to Orisun Igbomina, Ahmed was widely perceived during his emergence as an appendage of the political interests that produced him. The group argued that the perception of external political control weakened his ability to independently advance the interests of the Kwara South Senatorial District and the state at large throughout his eight-year tenure.

It cautioned that the same mistake must not be repeated as the state approaches another election cycle.

Orisun Igbomina also reminded aspirants that the incumbent governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, did not rise to power through automatic endorsement.

The group noted that AbdulRazaq had contested several times for different offices, including governorship and senatorial seats, across multiple political platforms—from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change—before eventually emerging under the All Progressives Congress in 2019.

According to the group, his political journey demonstrates that persistence, grassroots engagement, and direct interaction with the electorate remained critical to political success. It, therefore, urged aspirants across the state not to wait for political endorsements that may never come but to step forward and present themselves, their ideas, and their development plans directly to the people.

The group emphasised that democracy should be driven by the people rather than by a small circle of political power brokers.

It urged aspirants across Kwara State to prioritise public engagement, policy discussions, and consultations with citizens to build genuine support.

“Democracy should be about the people and their collective aspirations, not about a few individuals pursuing self-serving interests behind closed doors,” the people said.