2027: Kwara APC women seek deputy gov, speaker slots

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Women in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress have called on the party leadership to reserve the offices of deputy governor and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly for qualified female members ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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The appeal was made in Ilorin on Wednesday by a former House of Representatives aspirant on the APC platform, Mopelola Bashir, after the conclusion of the party’s National Assembly primaries.

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She argued that although no woman emerged as the party’s candidate for the National Assembly, the APC still has an opportunity to reinforce its reputation as a champion of gender inclusion by supporting female candidates for the two key state positions.

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Mopelola praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what she described as his consistent commitment to empowering women, saying his administration had transformed Kwara into a national reference point for inclusive governance through the appointment of women to strategic positions.

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She said, “His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has consistently demonstrated uncommon confidence in the capacity of women to lead and deliver. That bold leadership has not only inspired women across Kwara State but has also earned our party national recognition as a progressive platform that genuinely believes in equal opportunity.

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“I humbly appeal to our respected party leaders to honour the loyalty and immense contributions of women by considering competent female party members for the offices of deputy governor and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly.

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“Such a decision would reinforce the APC’s progressive identity and preserve one of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s most enduring legacies.”

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The APC chieftain maintained that women have remained the backbone of the party’s electoral successes across the state’s 16 local government areas through grassroots mobilisation, community engagement and unwavering support for its candidates and programmes.

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“Our women have remained loyal through every political season. They have defended the ideals of our great party, mobilised support at the grassroots and contributed significantly to every electoral success recorded by the APC. They deserve to be further entrusted with strategic leadership responsibilities,” she said.

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Mopelola insisted that the demand was not based on sentiment but on the APC’s tradition of rewarding loyalty, competence and service. She expressed confidence that the party leadership would make decisions that promote fairness, unity and inclusive governance.

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She also reaffirmed the commitment of women in the party to President Bola Tinubu, AbdulRazaq and the APC governorship candidate, Salihu Danladi, expressing optimism that the party would make history by producing both a female deputy governor and a female Speaker in Kwara.

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