Kwara South group backs Yakubu Danladi Salihu for governor

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The Kwara South Young Professionals in Politics has declared its support for the governorship ambition of Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, urging the All Progressives Congress to present him as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Kwara State.

Speaking with journalists on Friday in Ilorin, the group’s chairman, Lukman Jimba, said the endorsement was driven by the principles of fairness, justice and the collective interest of all residents of Kwara rather than personal or sectional considerations.

Jimba argued that since the creation of Kwara State, Kwara Central has produced governors for about 20 years, while Kwara South has occupied the office for eight years, leaving Kwara North yet to produce an elected governor despite its political contributions to the state.

He stressed that the group’s position was not intended to create division but to promote equity and ensure every senatorial district has a sense of belonging in the state’s political leadership.

According to him, Salihu’s endorsement goes beyond his Kwara North roots, as he has demonstrated competence, leadership capacity and administrative experience through his service as a two-term Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and as an academic.

The group called on traditional rulers, community leaders, youth and women groups, professionals, artisans, traders, students and other stakeholders across the state’s 16 local government areas to support Salihu’s governorship aspiration.

It also appealed to other APC governorship aspirants and their supporters to accept the outcome of the party’s selection process in the interest of unity, noting that democracy produces only one winner at a time and that every stakeholder remains important to the party’s success.

The group maintained that Kwara South has always championed justice and equitable representation, adding that supporting a candidate from Kwara North would strengthen unity, reward the district’s longstanding loyalty to the progressive movement and promote inclusive governance across the state.