Kwara women rally support for APC gov candidate

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More Kwara women have pledged to mobilise total support for the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, in the 2027 general elections.

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The pledge was made by a former Kwara State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mopelola Abdulmalik-Bashir, who led a group of women to the Kwara Central Women in Support of the SYD programme held in Ilorin on Saturday.

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At the event, Mopelola expressed confidence that women across the state would play a decisive role in securing victory for the APC and its governorship candidate, declaring that they would deliver 100 per cent support when the election holds.

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She also predicted that Danladi would receive his largest bloc of votes from Ilorin, saying the people of the emirate understood the importance of political inclusion and cooperation among the different parts of the state.

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“Danladi’s largest votes will come from Ilorin. Ilorin understands what inclusion means,” Abdulmalik-Bashir said.

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“Ilorin will stand with Kwara North, just as Kwara North stood with the broader O’toge project,” she emphasised.

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The ex- commissioner described Danladi’s emergence as the APC governorship candidate as a demonstration of political inclusion and a continuation of the political understanding that produced the O’toge movement.

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Mopelola pointed out that the 2027 election presented an opportunity for the state to consolidate the gains of the movement by strengthening trust, inclusion and political cooperation.

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“Kwara North stood with O’toge. They worked for it, sacrificed for it and voted for it,” she said.

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“Today, that commitment is being recognised by giving Kwara North the opportunity to lead. That is inclusion in practical terms.”

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Mopelola commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what she described as the political courage to support an arrangement that gives Kwara North an opportunity to produce the next governor of the state.

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However, she cautioned against viewing the development through ethnic or sectional considerations.

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“O’toge was never about one person or one part of Kwara. It was about changing a political order,” she clarified.

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“If the political order has changed, then every part of Kwara must be able to aspire to lead.”

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Speaking on the role of women in the forthcoming election, Mopelola described them as a formidable political force, citing their numerical strength, grassroots networks and influence across communities.

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“Kwara women are not spectators. We are voters, mobilisers, mothers, community leaders and political stakeholders,” she stressed, even as the woman politician maintained, “We understand the difference between a promise and a result.”

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She assured that the women across the state would take the message of inclusion to the grassroots and mobilise support for the APC and Danladi ahead of the 2027 poll.

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Mopelola expressed confidence that the performance of the AbdulRazaq administration, the APC’s political structure, the support of women and Danladi’s emergence would strengthen the party’s chances in the election.

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She also urged Danladi to sustain and expand policies targeted at women if elected governor, particularly in the areas of political inclusion and economic empowerment.

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“Women have been given a sense of belonging and greater opportunities under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq,” the politician said.

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“I want Hon. Danladi to continue in that direction and do even more for women in Kwara,” she added, assuring that women and residents of Ilorin would demonstrate their support through the ballot in 2027.

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“When the time comes, Kwara women will speak with their votes. Ilorin will speak with its votes,” she said.

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“We will deliver APC. We will deliver Salihu Yakubu Danladi, 100 per cent,” Mopelola vowed.

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