The Deputy Senate Leader, Lola Ashiru, has declared his intention to contest for the Kwara governorship seat in the 2027 general elections.
Mr Ashiru, who is the senator for the Kwara South District, made his intention known while receiving executive members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State, at his Offa country home.
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“I am going to contest because I believe I have the best of credentials to rule Kwara State for the next four years, starting in 2027, and I believe I probably understand the people and the place called Kwara because I have been here longer than any contestant”, he said.
The current governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, is from the central senatorial district, while his predecessor, Abdulfatah Ahmed from Kwara South, served two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2018.
For its part, the Kwara North district has not produced a governor since Shaaba Lafiagi, who served for 22 months from January 1983 to November 1985.
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This has led to agitation for the Kwara North district to produce the next governor in 2027. However, Mr Ashiru said the governor should be elected on merit.
“The best thing is to give everybody a chance to choose the best leader. I sympathised with Kwara North because they had been cheated out of power for a very long time; they had a good reason to say it’s their turn, but power isn’t like that. It’s not served on a plate; you struggle for it. You present yourself for it. It doesn’t really matter whether you are a Christian, because a Christian has won an election in Kwara State.”
Speaking on last week’s attack by bandits in the Kaiama Local Government Area of the state, the lawmaker called on governments at all levels to strengthen border security by promoting shared prosperity among border communities.
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He stressed that effective management of border communities would significantly reduce criminal activities.
“I feel our border links with neighbouring communities must be well managed. The first and most important step is to spread prosperity across these areas,” he said.
He added that special attention must be given to border and peripheral settlements, describing them as the first line of defence against external threats.
READ ALSO: Kwara Terror Attack: Southern Governors’ Forum commiserates with Kwara govt
According to him, states sharing boundaries must adopt a coordinated approach by investing in the welfare and development of their border communities.
“Niger State should protect its territory by spreading prosperity, Kwara State should do the same, and Kogi State should also ensure prosperity along the Eruku and Koro axis. If we adopt this approach, issues of killings and insecurity will be greatly curtailed,” he stated.
Mr Ashiru also commended the people of Woro for their resilience, offering prayers for the repose of the souls of those killed in Woro and Kaiama.
“We must not forget that countless people have been murdered. And I appreciate the efforts of the Federal Government for taking several steps to safeguard lives of the people,” he said.
He further called for a stronger developmental approach by governments, particularly at the state level, to address insecurity and promote sustainable peace across Nigeria.
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