The forthcoming 2027 general election is stirring leaders and indigenes of Kwara North based in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, who are clamouring for the governorship seat to be ceded to the zone.
They said their demand was centred around the need for fairness and justice, as nobody from the zone has governed the state since the return to democracy in 1999, while other zones have had the slot.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Baatonu Unity and Development Association Abuja (BUDIA), Alhaji Yusuf Tunku, made this appeal in Abuja during the end-of-year dinner of the women’s wing of the association.
The Vice Chairman, Kwara State Council of Traditional Rulers Council, the Etsu Pategi. Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II and all the traditional rulers in Kwara North recently, during a one-day stakeholders meeting in Lafiagi, Patigi Local Government, pushed for the zone to produce the next governor of the North Central state in 2027.
Emphasising the need for inclusivity, Tunku argued that the ceding of the highest political office of the state would not only correct the imbalance in power sharing, but it would also give the Kwara north senatorial district a sense of belonging, fairness and justice.
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He said consultations had already begun as the traditional rulers from the zone met their counterparts in Kwara South last week to garner support for the Zone’s governorship bid.
“In fairness, it should be. Since the inception of the state, we’ve never had that chance at all. Almost all other parts of the state have had their own share of the governorship. We’ve never had it.
“So, it is not going to be out of place. If, for fairness and justice, this time around, that is, 2027, the power shift goes to the north.”
Disclosing that the zone has begun a statewide campaign for the agitation, Tunku said, “We have started. I think as recently as last week, even our traditional rulers moved to consult with the southern Kwara people.
They met their traditional rulers last week to plead with them to let this time around. The governorship came to Kwara North. And I think there is this understanding.”
A leading member of the association, Prof. Umar Semo, emphasised the need for the zone to be given a chance to govern the state in 2027.
“But politics does not reward silence; nobody will hand it to you unless you show interest. We have come out clearly to say we want the governorship slot.
“Our Emirs have met with traditional rulers in Kwara South to communicate our desire. We want a fair hearing, and we believe this is the right time,” he said.
Semo called for a broader understanding across the state, noting that the zone has remained patient despite decades of political exclusion.
“In the spirit of unity, we have always supported others. Kwara Central has had its turn. Kwara South has had its turn. If Kwara North is supported this time, we will be very happy,” he added.
For the president of BUDIA, women’s wing, Aisha Ahmed Oyoru, said the association was at the forefront of promoting the culture and socio-economic identity of the people, especially in their clamour for a power shift in 2027.
