Kwara south monarchs declare support for Danladi, others, pray APC will win “from top to bottom”

By Stephen Oladele

Traditional rulers in the south senatorial district of Kwara State have  given their support to governorship candididate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yakubu Salihu Danladi, in 2027 election in the state.

The monarchs also said they would be supporting other candidates of the party in the election.

They promised the support as they said that the APC had observed equity, fairness and justice in picking its choice of candidate for the governorship race 

The APC candidate, Danladi who is the incumbent Speaker of the state House of Assembly is from the north senatorial district of the state.

While in the current democratic dispensation that began in 1999  the central senatorial district has produced three governors who aggregately would be spending 20 years in office by next year and south district produced a governor who spend eight years in office, north district has not produced any governor.

The traditional rulers said they championed the ceding of the governorship seat to the north district based on the need to ensure that equity, fairness and justice prevail.

A foremost monarch in the district, Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Alebiosu, disclosed the support of the traditional rulers when the APC candidates and chieftains who were touring the district for a “thank you'” visit arrived at his palace. 

Oba Alebiosu said he had the mandate of traditional rulers in Igbomina, Ekiti and Ibolo blocs in the district to declare support of the rulers for the APC candidates.

The monarch who had other traditional rulers in his Irepodun Local Government Area present in his palace while speaking, said the choice of other candidates of the APC reflected equity and fairness.

Oba Alebiosu disclosed that the monarchs also decided to support the APC because they and other people in the district felt impact of performance and achievement of the administration of the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abdulazaq for acceding to the request of the traditional institution to support Kwara North to produce the next governor of Kwara State and for the Igbomina bloc to produce the next senator for Kwara South. 

He stated: “By the special grace of God, I have been mandated by the traditional institution in this local government and in the entire senatorial district to say to you that the institution will give you 101% support,” Olupo told the APC candidates and supporters in his Palace, where the Irepodun Council of Chiefs were also present.

“I’ve also been directed by my colleagues to pray for your success. Because you have given us what we demanded. We are also going to do everything legally permissible to make sure that your party succeeds, come 2027. By the grace of God, I’ve been mandated to pray for your party and your candidates will win from top to bottom. They will win from top to bottom. This party will win from top to bottom by the special grace of God Almighty Allah,” the monarch prayed. 

“We are once again grateful to Mr. President and our amiable Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for standing by the truth and for making sure that what is good for Mr. A is not forbidden for Mr. B. That is leadership par excellence. The Lord Almighty will continue to be with His Excellency and make His Excellency to continue to do things the right way and the way of God. 

“All the traditional institution in Kwara South stand firmly by equity, justice, and fairness. I make bold to say that all of what we have today, they are true reflections of what you call equity, justice, and fairness.”

Oba Alebiosu appealed to all party members to remain calm, committed, and shun crisis for the party to succeed. 

Elerin of Erin-Ile and Chairman Oyun Council of Chiefs, Oba Jimoh Adebowale Adesoye, said all the monarchs in Oyun would mobilise their subjects to vote for APC, calling it a payback for the impactful leadership of Governor Abdulrazaq in the state.

Speaking through Onipe of Ipee land, Oba Muftau Adebayo Lawal Titiloye III, the Elerin said the community cannot hide their unalloyed support for the ruling party.

“You will not be put to shame and you will all succeed at the polls. The APC government has transformed this state. The party deserves to continue in power.

“We can assure you that all the traditional rulers and residents of Oyun are voting for your party, because we don’t have any other party than APC,” the monarch declared

The Olofa of Offa Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye, who spoke in his palace in Offa, expressed similar sentiments, saying he is confident that Danladi and other APC candidates will do well for the state and their respective constituencies. 

“All these candidates are my children and they have my support. You will succeed,” the Olofa said.

The state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, appreciated the monarchies and people of Oyun, Offa and Irepodun for their tested loyalty and commitment to the ‘seamless’ party primaries.

Referencing the peaceful conduct of the APC primaries and the timely uploading of candidates on the INEC portal, the Chairman said APC is a disciplined party that continues to set a pace for its contemporaries.

“The purpose of our being here is to thank the people of Oyun LGA for standing by the party during the primaries which brought about the candidates we are unveiling now,” he stated.