23/05/2026
I extend my warmest congratulations to Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi on his emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 gubernatorial election in Kwara State.
Today marks a defining moment in the political history of our dear state and a significant step toward deepening the principles of fairness, inclusion, and intergenerational leadership within our democracy.
Eight months ago, precisely on September 20, 2025, I publicly joined the call for the governorship ticket to be zoned to Kwara North during the Kwara North-Kwara Central Youth Dialogue. My position at the time was unequivocal: after decades of immense contributions to the growth and stability of Kwara State without producing a governor since 1999, Kwara North deserved a fair opportunity, not as an act of charity or pity, but as a matter of justice, equity, competence, and balanced inclusion.
I am therefore delighted that our great party listened to this historic aspiration and, beyond zoning the ticket to the region, entrusted it to a young, vibrant, and experienced leader in Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, who, at just 42 years old, embodies the emergence of a new generation of progressive leadership in Kwara State.
I particularly commend His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for once again demonstrating uncommon courage and faith in the capacity of young people to lead and sustain the gains of progressive governance in our state. At a time when many still hesitate to entrust younger leaders with greater responsibility, this decision sends a powerful message about competence, continuity, and the future of progressive politics in Kwara.
This moment transcends individual ambition. It is a victory for inclusion, generational transition, party unity, and the continued strengthening of the progressive family in Kwara State.
As we celebrate this milestone, I sincerely appeal to all supporters, associates, and political stakeholders to embrace humility, maturity, and reconciliation in both words and actions. Primary elections naturally evoke strong emotions, but we must not allow temporary differences to weaken our collective resolve. The greater task before us is the general election, and that responsibility demands unity, healing, strategic engagement, and mutual respect.
Now more than ever, we must remember that victory is best sustained through magnanimity and inclusion. The broom remains strongest when its strands remain firmly bound together.
Congratulations once again to Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi on this historic emergence. May Almighty Allah grant you wisdom, strength, sound judgment, and the humility required for the responsibility ahead.
Mohammed Funsho Abdullahi
Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister for Youth Development.
