Aaro Meta Kwara South, a political forum in Kwara South Senatorial District, on Friday declared its support for all All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said it played a leading role in the OTOGE movement, which ended the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State in 2019, assuring that it would work towards securing victory for all APC candidates in the state in 2027.
Adebayo Daramola, the group’s coordinator, stated this while briefing journalists at the Correspondents’ Chapel Secretariat in Ilorin.
He urged party members across the three senatorial districts to embrace fairness, equity and political unity in the interest of the APC’s electoral success.
The group recalled that it supported the emergence of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as the APC governorship candidate in 2019, despite being a political organisation based in Kwara South, in the collective interest of unseating the then ruling PDP government.
According to Daramola, the group had no preferred governorship candidate at the time, stressing that its position was guided by the conviction that the APC needed an Ilorin-based candidate to defeat the PDP.
It argued that the same spirit of political accommodation, fairness and equity should guide APC members in Kwara South following the emergence of Salihu Yakubu Danladi, who hails from Kwara North, as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
The group noted that Kwara South had produced a governor who served for eight years since the return to democratic rule in 1999, while Kwara Central would have completed over 16 years in office by the time Abdulrazaq leaves office in May 2027.
It said the state’s political history provided a strong basis for Kwara North to produce the next governor.
“After losing such an opportunity of someone from Kwara South Senatorial District becoming the APC governorship candidate because of equity and fairness, it would just be fair for all party faithful to wholeheartedly support any candidate that emerged from the Kwara North Senatorial District,” the group said.
It urged party members from the other senatorial districts to support and vote for all APC candidates, stressing that political positions should be pursued for the collective benefit of the people.
“Let us realise that it is only one candidate that will represent a constituency at a time, so let’s pursue the benefit of such a position for the people.
“As long as Kwara remains one state, we want to appeal to all and sundry to embrace love and togetherness, rather than anyone wanting to take advantage of the state headquarters to suppress others,” the group stated.
Aaro Meta maintained that the success of any governor, irrespective of age or political background, depended largely on the cooperation, support and experience of party members.
“Let us bury our hatchets and rally support for Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi, who has emerged as our party’s governorship candidate, towards ensuring total victory for all APC candidates across the state,” the group appealed.
Aaro Meta commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for measures taken to address banditry and kidnapping in parts of Kwara South, particularly Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The group mentioned Oro Forest corridor, stretching from Oro-Ago and Oreke Road to Egbe, Okoloke and Lade Road, as one of the areas that had been vulnerable to criminal activities.
It acknowledged the strategic roles of military bases established in Oro-Ago and Babanla in the fight against banditry, describing the recent establishment of the 184 Battalion in Omu-Aran as a significant step towards flushing out criminal elements from the forests.
Daramola said the security interventions had helped curb criminal activities and reduce them to the barest minimum.
“The military bases at Oro-Ago and Babanla had been very strategic in fighting these bandits. Most importantantly, the recent establishment of the 184 Battalion in Omu-Aram is the most strategic thing that the government has done to finally get rid of these bandits from our forest. We are indeed very grateful,” he stated.
He expressed optimism that the additional military presence would strengthen security operations and provide lasting relief to communities affected by kidnapping and banditry.
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