APC Stakeholders Declare Kwara South Has Most Qualified 2027 Governorship Aspirants
As political momentum intensifies in preparation for the crucial 2027 governorship election in Kwara State, influential members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from multiple local government areas have made a significant declaration. Party stakeholders from Isin, Ilorin West, and Ilorin East have collectively asserted that the Kwara South senatorial district boasts the most qualified aspirants among the more than fifteen contenders currently vying for the party's nomination.
Grassroots Endorsements Across Multiple Localities
During separate strategic meetings convened in Oke Onigbin, Mandate, and Sango areas within Ilorin, APC stakeholders formally endorsed former state party chairman Honorable Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa as their preferred candidate. These political actors described Bolarinwa as the most competent individual to assume leadership of Kwara State, expressing strong confidence in his ability to both sustain and expand the developmental achievements initiated by current Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
The APC members, operating under the banner of Isin Progressive Likeminds and led by Kayode Olaoye, emphasized that their endorsement followed an extensive period of consultations, deep grassroots engagement, and a comprehensive assessment of Kwara State's complex socio-cultural and economic realities. "We are firmly persuaded that the exigencies of this period demand visionary, inclusive, and transformative leadership—one that transcends sectional considerations and fosters cohesion, equity, and sustainable development across the state," the group stated unequivocally.
Strategic Mobilization Plans
Participants drawn from all eleven wards of the local government resolved to implement a comprehensive mobilization strategy to advance Bolarinwa's governorship ambition. This plan includes activating grassroots support networks, engaging key stakeholders, traditional institutions, community leaders, and influential opinion molders throughout the state.
Similarly, at the Ilorin West stakeholders' meeting—which brought together party elders, executives, women and youth groups, alongside political actors from all twelve wards—leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a candidate possessing the vision and capacity to shape Kwara State's future. Convener Honorable Ayo Obisesan, alongside prominent APC leader Professor Yahya Duro Uthman Hambali, announced that the caucus had resolved to back a candidate with demonstrated ability to drive meaningful progress.
"Today is not just another political gathering. We are making history—choosing the future over the past, progress over stagnation, and hope over despair," Professor Hambali declared during the proceedings. They noted that this endorsement reflects a shared commitment between the people and their chosen candidate, representing a significant alignment of political will.
Dual Endorsements and Presidential Support
In Ilorin East, party stalwarts organized under the umbrella of the Ilorin East Progressive Caucus declared their support through a formal voice vote for both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governorship aspirant Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa. Chairman of the caucus, Chief Babatunde Asanlu, affirmed the group's strong backing for President Tinubu's anticipated re-election campaign in 2027.
"Since assuming office, the President has demonstrated courage and vision through bold reforms aimed at repositioning Nigeria. Key policies such as fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate reforms, infrastructure renewal, and the student loan programme are laying a solid foundation for national progress," Chief Asanlu stated emphatically.
Regarding Bolarinwa's endorsement, Asanlu added: "Honorable Bolarinwa is a tested leader with proven experience, broad acceptance, and strong grassroots connection. He possesses the capacity to lead Kwara State to greater heights." This dual endorsement strategy appears designed to create political synergy between national and state-level aspirations within the APC framework.
The collective declarations from these multiple APC stakeholder groups signal a coordinated effort to consolidate support around specific candidates well ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle, potentially shaping the political landscape in Kwara State for years to come.
