2027 Should Be About Who Can Deliver, Not Where They Come From — Group

Ilorin,  Kwara State– As political permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections begin to take shape, a coalition of influential stakeholders under the banner of Kwara Political Leaders of Thought (KPLOT) has issued a warning against ethnic sentiment, zoning formulas, and what it described as “turn-by-turn politics,” insisting that competence, capacity, and character must guide leadership choices in the state.

The group said Kwara has reached a dangerous crossroads where emotional politics and convenient assumptions can no longer be afforded, given the worsening security situation across large swathes of the state.

Addressing journalists at a press conference on Thursday, KPLOT Chairman, Mohammed Marriam Alhassan, said the realities confronting Kwara demand sobriety, honesty, and courage from both political leaders and the electorate.

“From Edu to Patigi, Ifelodun to Isin, and from Ekiti to Kiama, Kwara State has, regrettably, become an epicentre of banditry and terrorism—an unfortunate situation unprecedented in the history of our state,” Alhassan said.

While commending the efforts of the Kwara State Government under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the group noted that insecurity remains deeply entrenched.

“Communities are still under siege, livelihoods are threatened, and the sense of safety that once defined Kwara has been gravely eroded,” he added.

KPLOT argued that the prevailing crisis has fundamentally altered the basis upon which political leadership should be chosen.

“In the face of this crisis, it is no longer acceptable to approach leadership selection the way we might have done in more stable times. If Kwara once had the luxury of making sentimental political choices, that luxury no longer exists,” the group warned.

According to the leaders, the 2027 leadership debate should no longer centre on where a candidate comes from, but on who that candidate truly is.

“Who has the competence to confront insecurity? Who has the capacity to rebuild confidence in governance? Who has the courage, experience, and vision to navigate Kwara out of its present challenges and secure its future?” Alhassan asked, noting that these questions, not ethnic or sectional sentiments, dominate conversations among ordinary Kwarans.

KPLOT stressed that the ideal leader in 2027 could emerge from any part of the state—North, South, or Central—so long as such a candidate possesses the requisite competence and capacity.

“If the best candidate comes from the North, we must support that person. If from the South, the same principle applies. If competence resides in the Central, we must embrace it. Limiting our choices based on zoning or primordial sentiment at this critical moment is dangerous, and the consequences will be borne by all Kwarans,” the group cautioned.

While acknowledging that agitation and advocacy are legitimate components of democratic engagement, KPLOT said a higher calling now supersedes sectional interests.

“There comes a time when the survival and future of the state must take precedence over region, religion, or political entitlement. That time is now,” the statement said.

Describing the current situation as a war-like moment for the state, the group warned that crises of such magnitude cannot be resolved through convenience or sentiment.

“Kwara is, in practical terms, at war. And wars are not won by turn-by-turn politics. They are won by deliberate, strategic, and competent leadership,” KPLOT declared.

As 2027 approaches, the group urged political actors to align their ambitions with the collective interest of the people, warning that politics must now become part of the solution rather than an extension of the problem.

“Hard times demand hard decisions. The future of Kwara depends on it,” the group added.