Abdulrazaq says Kwara remains APC stronghold as campaign council visits

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has described the state as a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party’s electoral victories since 2019 have made it difficult for opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to gain ground.

AbdulRazaq spoke on Sunday in Ilorin while receiving a delegation of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), led by its Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari. He expressed confidence that the party would consolidate its position in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The delegation, which included former governors, former members of the National Assembly and former party executives, also paid homage to the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari. Among those on the team were Aminu Bello Masari, Rochas Okorocha, Ali Modu Sheriff, Adamu Aleiro, Abubakar Badaru, Danjuma Goje, Ibrahim Shema, Sani Yerima, Abdullahi Ganduje, Olusegun Mimiko, Dimeji Bankole and Olubunmi Ette.

The governor commended the composition of the council and its readiness for the campaign, while highlighting his administration’s efforts to address infrastructural challenges in education, healthcare and the civil service. He cited the introduction of KwaraLEARN, a technology-driven teaching initiative in public basic schools, as a measure that has helped reduce absenteeism and improve learning outcomes.

AbdulRazaq also said his administration had addressed the non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities that characterised the situation when it assumed office in 2019. He expressed confidence in the APC’s governorship candidate, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, describing him as a grassroots politician familiar with the administration’s policies and programmes. He added that the deputy governorship candidate, Seun Oguniyi Adato, was also a member of the state assembly.

Earlier, Yari said the visit was to appreciate the governor’s contributions to the APC and seek his continued support for the party’s success nationwide. He commended AbdulRazaq for the reception accorded the delegation on arrival at the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, describing it as a mark of the governor’s commitment to the party.

At the Emir’s palace, Yari said the delegation had come to seek the monarch’s prayers and blessings for the APC’s candidates, particularly President Bola Tinubu, ahead of the 2027 general elections. He praised both Tinubu and AbdulRazaq for their contributions to national and state development, respectively.

In his response, Sulu-Gambari thanked the delegation for the visit and prayed for the success of Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections. He expressed confidence in the team’s prospects, wishing its members success in their political endeavours.