By Folayimika Akanbi
Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker and Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, has clarified that his emergence as flag-bearer of the party for the 2027 general elections was not designed to end the relevance and participation of elders in state polity.
He dismissed the rumour as a mere insinuation.
Salihu spoke at a Youth Summit SYD Youth Forum convened in Ilorin on Monday.
At the event that had Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in attendance, the Speaker said the Governor’s approach to governance has created more opportunities for young people to serve and lead.
“It is not that a young man is coming into the leadership of the state to retire the elders. We need the wisdom of our elders, and since they are part and parcel of this administration, they would also be in the coming administration,” he affirmed.
Salihu hailed Governor AbdulRazaq over his conscious policy of youth inclusion in governance and active participation in politics.
“I appreciate His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for being intentional and deliberate in his policy on youth inclusion in governance and participation in politics,” he said.
He thanked his colleagues from the 9th and 10th Assemblies for their support and cooperation and commended the organizers of the summit for engaging the youths to galvanize support for the party.
The governorship candidate, however, expressed confidence in the APC’s chances in the forthcoming general elections, pointing to the strength of the party at the grassroots and the formidable structures of AbdulRazaq across the 193 wards of the state.
“By the grace of God, we are going to win our elections. Your Excellency, sir, you are popular, and all the aspirants (that contested the primaries) relied on your structures. Our candidates are popular and grassrooted and they will deliver,” he stated.
The APC governorship candidate also predicted a better performance (votes) for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the state in the coming general elections, saying all the aggrieved parties would come together to deliver for the party.
“In Kwara, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vote would be bigger than what he got in 2023 as aggrieved members would be reconciled to work and deliver for the party,” he said.
The Speaker called on the youth to remain focused ahead of the polls and rally support for the party to protect the youth mandate.
“As youths, let’s be focused and not be distracted. We are on our way to the 2027 general election. Tell your neighbour that we are going to win the 2027 elections,” he charged.
Governor AbdulRazaq, in his remarks at the summit, described as inappropriate comments in some quarters that the APC governorship candidate is inexperienced.
He said, “SYD is part of this administration. All the projects you are seeing us do today were appropriated under his leadership in the State House of Assembly. Some of them go on television and start saying he doesn’t have experience. How can you say a (nearly) eight-year Speaker is inexperienced? How can you say Kwara has developed, but the person who made appropriations at the Assembly for that development does not have experience?”
The Governor, who reeled out some of the achievements of his administration, praised the youth for the massive turnout at the summit and commended the organizer of the engagement for their commitment to the success of the party.
The APC state Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, National Assembly candidates, and other stakeholders took turns to appreciate the President, Governor and the national leadership of the party and pledged their renewed commitment to deliver for the party in the forthcoming general elections.
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