2027: Kwara APC Governorship Candidate Breaks Silence On Alleged Imposition by AbdulRazaq

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kwara State, Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, has dismissed allegations that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq imposed him on the party ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Salihu-Danladi, who currently serves as Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, maintained that his emergence should be judged by his leadership record and experience rather than claims of political interference.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the Speaker made the remarks in a video clip obtained on Monday, insisting that his seven years in charge of the legislature demonstrated his competence and ability to manage people with different interests.

He argued that the continued support of his colleagues, including 23 lawmakers, was evidence of confidence in his leadership.

“I’m not brought in by the governor. You engage me, you will know whether I am competent or not. If I am not competent, my good friends, my colleagues, 23 of them; they would have removed me for the last seven years,” he said.

The APC candidate added that successfully leading the legislative arm for seven years without major internal disputes showed that he possessed the experience and leadership qualities required to govern the state.

Salihu-Danladi also expressed confidence in his qualifications ahead of the 2027 election, claiming that his experience surpassed that of his opponents in the governorship race.

Addressing criticism that the Kwara State House of Assembly had become a rubber stamp for the executive, he rejected suggestions that lawmakers had abandoned their oversight responsibilities.

According to him, legislative independence should not be measured by how frequently lawmakers clash with the governor, but by whether they make sound decisions and provide appropriate guidance on government policies.

“What is rubber stamp? If you are doing the right thing and you say this is the right thing, must I fight you? If the executive governor is doing the right thing, what is the essence of the legislator fighting the executive?” he asked.

The Speaker further argued that lawmakers regularly engaged with the executive before proposals were formally presented to the Assembly. He maintained that such consultations did not automatically undermine the legislature’s independence.

“There is nothing this governor will bring to the Assembly that we were not carried along; before he even brings it, so what makes it a rubber stamp?” he said.

Salihu-Danladi also urged critics to assess the Assembly’s performance by considering the level of development recorded in Kwara State under AbdulRazaq’s administration.

He argued that the legislature should not be labelled a rubber stamp simply because it cooperated with the executive on policies considered beneficial to the state.

His comments come as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with questions surrounding candidate selection, political influence and the relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government likely to remain central to public debate.