APC senator representing Kwara North senatorial district, Sadiq Umar, has said the clamour for shift of governorship seat to the district in 2027 is to harmonize all interests in Kwara State.
Umar said the Kwara’s mantra “State of Harmony” will be incomplete if any section of the state is denied opportunity to produce Governor.
The two-term legislator, who spoke in an interview in Ilorin on Monday, said the people of Kwara North would feel a huge sense of belonging if given the opportunity to occupy the seat of power in the state in 2027.
He said that the clamour for power shift to Kwara North is genuine and long overdue, saying that the region has not been fortunate to have candidates as Governor since the return to civilian administration 24 years ago.
“That agitation can’t be more genuine than any genuine agitation. It is genuine as any genuine agitation, and I think this has been on for a very long time.
“We are all parts of the history of how Kwara North has fared. But to me, my honest and straightforward opinion about this is that it is not about agitation for Kwara North, it is about agitation for Kwara State,” Umar said.
He said people of Kwara call it the State of Harmony saying the technical meaning of harmony is that everybody is living harmoniously, and it means that every section of the state must harmonize the people’s aspiration and interest.
“So, if some regions have had the opportunity to produce the Governor more than others, for a region like ours, since 1999, we have not had that opportunity.
“We are saying in Kwara North that the State has to give an opportunity to a Kwara Northerner to also sit on the chair. Not because he is going to be a Governor for Kwara North, he has to be the Governor of Kwara State.
“But everybody will feel happy that the tripod is in harmony. So, if you say equity, fairness or whatever, those are grammar, but in democracy it is that people vote and make a choice of who they want to make as a Governor. There is nothing you can do about that,” he said.
Umar expressed the need to make Kwara a State of Harmony by harmonizing all collective aspiration and then, everybody will have that sense of belonging and we be proud that the State lives in harmony.
Calling on Kwara Central and South regions to collaborate with Kwara North, Umar
added that stakeholders including members of the political class from the region are working round the clock to queue behind a strong candidate from the region.
The legislator rated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq high in the delivery of infrastructural projects, saying that he is changing the story of the state for good.
Umar said Kwara North cannot do it alone as a region, because the people are not going to vote alone.
“I keep on saying, we need the support of Central and South. Please, support us this time around. Every region in the state has enough competent, experienced persons.
“Just support us, support a very competent and capable person that you can say this is your governor that will make sure he moves Kwara State to where it needs to go.
“We are very prepared. All we are doing right now is trying to organize ourselves, be on the same page. We have started from Patigi and met at Youth Summit in Bode-Saadu,” he said.
“We will rally round a strong candidate under a strong party, I hope it is my party, and make sure that we keep the fold intact.
The senator said Kwara North will come to (Kwara) Central and South to negotiate and by the grace of God, “we are going to be successful”. (NAN)