2027: Kwara APC rallies for Tinubu, local candidates in Ilorin

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has staged a mega rally in Ilorin to canvass support for President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the party’s governorship candidate, Salihu Yakubu-Danladi.

The rally, described by its organisers as a 20,000-man march, attracted party faithful and supporters from Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Asa and Moro local government areas.

Organised by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Suleiman Sai Kayi, the rally was aimed at demonstrating support for the APC leadership and its candidates ahead of the 2026 elections.

The procession began at the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (General Hospital) Roundabout and moved through major streets in Ilorin, with participants displaying party colours and chanting solidarity songs.

Many supporters wore APC-branded uniforms and caps bearing inscriptions such as ‘My Vote is for APC’ and ‘#Iwaju LaNlo’ as they danced and marched through the state capital.

Speaking with journalists, Mr Sai Kayi said the rally was organised to appreciate Governor AbdulRazaq’s performance, particularly in infrastructure development, education and the welfare of workers and pensioners.

He described Mr Yakubu-Danladi’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate as an agenda for continuity, anchored in fairness and justice, and said he was confident the incoming administration would consolidate the present government’s achievements.

“The youth are more than any other age group in this rally. We are gathered to appreciate Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for giving us SYD. SYD is part of our own constituency,” he said.

Mr Sai Kayi added that the APC believed in sustaining the current development trajectory, arguing that Mr Yakubu-Danladi was part of the achievements recorded by the AbdulRazaq administration since 2019.

Also speaking, the Senior Adviser and Counsellor to the Governor, Sa’adu Salahu, urged voters not to be swayed by opposition political campaigns but to assess candidates based on their records and contributions to public service.

He expressed confidence that the administration’s people-oriented programmes and infrastructure projects would translate into electoral support for the APC and its candidates.

Mr Salahu said Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership had discouraged political violence and promoted political tolerance, contrasting the administration’s approach with what he described as the style of previous governments.

“We can have political differences, but you will agree with me that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has never encouraged political thuggery, in contrast to the style of the past government,” he said.

He also ruled out the possibility of a rainbow coalition gaining political traction in Kwara, insisting that the APC remained confident of winning the 2027 elections across the state.

The governor’s aide urged party members to sustain peaceful mobilisation and intensify door-to-door campaigns to secure votes for the party.

Similarly, the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council (Central), Abdulrazaq Jiddah, commended party members for their turnout and urged eligible voters to ensure they collected their Permanent Voter Cards when the exercise commenced.

The General Manager of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, Abdulwasiu Tejidini, said the turnout of men, women and youths reflected growing support for the APC and its development agenda.

“Today, Kwara Central has spoken. The whole Kwara has spoken, because the good work of His Excellency, the Governor of Kwara State, has really spoken for itself,” Tejidini said, drawing parallels between the development agenda of President Tinubu and that of the Kwara State Government.

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A former APC House of Assembly aspirant for Share/Oke-Ode Constituency, Abdulrasheed Akogun, described the zoning of the party’s governorship ticket to Kwara North as a historic political breakthrough for the region.

Mr Akogun commended Governor AbdulRazaq for what he called his commitment to equity, fairness and justice, adding that the governor provided a level playing field for party members to pursue their ambitions during the primaries, irrespective of their political tendencies.

Other dignitaries at the rally included the wife of the governorship candidate, Sa’adat Yakubu-Danladi; lawmakers and candidates Fatima Arinola Lawal and Mariam Yusuf Aladi; Ghali Alaya; the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Bashir Adigun; council chairmen from the participating local government areas; and other APC chieftains.