*Assures Tinubu of landslide victory

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Members of the Elders Caucus of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kwara State have thrown their weight behind the candidacy of the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Engr. Yakubu Danladi- Salihu.

The APC elders, at a crowded press conference on Monday in Ilorin, the state capital, assured President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC that Danladi- Salihu enjoyed the popular support of the people of the State, especially the youths.

The forum was reacting to the earlier press conference held by the Chief James Bamisaiye- led APC Elders Caucus where they condemned the choice of Danladi-Salihu as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

They said that the APC candidate does not represent the strongest political option available to the party to win the next year gubernatorial race.

The elders warned that unless President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the party wade into the raging crisis that had emerged from the Danladi- Salihu’s candidacy, the party may lose Kwara State to the opposition.

But, the APC Elders Caucus at a press conference addressed by the State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Agenda Ambassadors, Hon. AbdulLateef Gidado Alakawa said: “To Say the least, those who addressed that conference are interlopers who are not recognised by the APC structure in the State.

“We shouldn’t have dignified the claims of these interlopers who called themselves elders of our great party, the APC by this response, but there’s is the need to put a lie to their fathom claims.

“The general public is aware of the fact that our party held its primaries for all the elective offices, including the governorship ticket in a peaceful atmosphere. The results of the governorship primary was announced by the Chairman of the panel that was sent from Abuja to conduct the exercise, Hon. Musiliu Obanikoro in the presence of all loyal party members at the Banquet Hall along Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin.

“The governorship primary that was held on 22nd May 2026 produced the incumbent speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu DanladiSalihu as winner. Since that time, none of the other gubernatorial aspirant has raised a complaint on the outcome of the exercise. And as a team player, the APC gubernatorial candidate has since extended the hands of fellowship to his cocontestants.

“Not only this, Hon. Danladi has embarked on a tour of the residences of key stakeholders in the affairs of our dear state, including our traditional rulers, who have all blessed him, assured him of their support and prayed for his victory at the poll come 2027.

“The credentials of Danladi – Salihu are in public domain. Apart from being an engineer, he has garnered enough political experience as the state’s number three citizen in the last seven years. Our candidate is also a youth who enjoys the support of mammoth youths population.

“On the so-called elders disparaging comments on our leader, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, we want to clarify that the governor did not imose any gubernatorial candidates on the party. The governor allowed a free contest in the gubernatorial primary while he was not also directly in charge of the conduct of the exercise. He as a democrat only accepted the outcome of the exercise which was adjudged peaceful, free and fair by those that supervised it.

“Declaring the result of the gubernatorial primary, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Supervisory Committee of Kwara State Governorship Primary, Senator Musliu Obanikoro said DanladiSalihu scored 94,990 votes to beat other cight aspirants that participated in the exercise.

“We recall that key contenders, including Amb. Yahaya Seriki, had earlier mobiiised support for DanladiSalihu in a show of solidarity. All the five local government areas in the North returned more than 90% of their votes in favour of the DanladiSalihu, while he also led comfortably across the two other senatorial districts. In Southern District, Offa, Oyun, Irepodun, Ekiti, Isin, Oke Ero, and Ifelodun stood firmly behind the choice of the Speaker, underscoring his strong support base across the state.

“The above illustration showed that Danladi – Salihu won the gubernatorial primary convincingly. What we expected of the socalled elders is to join hands with our governor and other stakeholders to ensure the victory of our governorship candidate and all other candidates of the APC at the poll.
“The conduct of these elders have shown that their not patriotic member of the APC and do not mean well for our dear Kwara State. We hold the opinion that every well meaning party man will pray for a successor who will continue the good work of the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. “

“We want to assure His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu that Kwara is APC state and in shaa Allahu, the governor and all other genuine stakeholders will deliver the state, once again to the APC come 2027. “

Alakawa was flanked by the Coordinator of the Kwara Central APC Elders Caucus, Alhaji Razaq Lawal and a chieftain of the party, Alhaji Usman Bibire Ajape, amongst others.

Hassan Taiye

Democracy Day: NWDC Chairman Reaffirms Commitment to Peace, Development in North-West
By Staff Reporter
The Chairman of the Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), Lawal Yakawada, has called on Nigerians to renew their commitment to unity, peace, and democratic values as the nation commemorates Democracy Day.
In a statement issued to mark the occasion, Yakawada described June 12 as a defining symbol of Nigeria’s democratic journey and a reminder of the sacrifices made by patriots in the pursuit of justice, accountability, inclusion, and the rule of law.
According to him, democracy goes beyond governance and represents a collective responsibility to build a nation founded on fairness, participation, and national progress.
The NWDC chairman acknowledged the challenges facing the country, particularly in the North-West region, including insecurity, economic pressures, and social difficulties, but commended communities across the region for their resilience and determination.
Yakawada stated that the Commission remains committed to working with governments at all levels, traditional institutions, religious leaders, security agencies, development partners, and local communities to promote stability and sustainable development across the region.
He stressed that peace, security, and social stability are critical to achieving development goals, attracting investment, expanding educational opportunities, and improving economic outcomes.
“Without peace, progress becomes difficult; with peace, the opportunities for growth and prosperity are limitless,” he stated.
The chairman further outlined a vision for a North-West where every child has access to quality education, farmers operate safely, entrepreneurs flourish, communities prosper, and citizens actively contribute to national development.
Yakawada urged Nigerians to use the Democracy Day celebration as an opportunity to strengthen national unity and collective commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous country.
He expressed optimism that Nigeria’s democratic institutions would continue to grow stronger and become more responsive to the aspirations of the people.
He also wished Nigerians a memorable Democracy Day celebration and prayed for continued peace and progress across the nation.

• Seeks a better deal for Nigerian youths

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly and APC Governorship candidate is poised to seek a better deal for Nigerian youths ahead of the 2027 general election.

To this effect, Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu was at the National Youth House, where he had a robust engagement with young people under the leadership of the energetic and vibrant APC National Youth Leader, Hon. Abdullah Dayo Israel, in Abuja.

The APC Governorship candidate charged the youths to remain focused, be good ambassadors, and work assiduously to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all other APC candidates from top to bottom across the country. According to him, this is the only way to reward a government that is creating so many opportunities for Nigerian youths.

Earlier, the APC National Youth Leader, Hon. Abdullah Dayo Israel, took the Governorship candidate on a tour of the National Youth House, showing him the facilities and resources put together to give youths a sense of belonging and bring out the best in them.

Hon. Israel expressed joy at the emergence of Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu as the APC Governorship Candidate for Kwara State, describing it as the youth mandate.

“I was overjoyed when you came first during the primary; as a youth, I am happy that our demography is not left behind and we are going to give you the needed support as the youngest governorship candidate in the country”, the National Youth Leader remarked.