2027: Partisan Politics Will Destroy Your Authority – APC Group Warns Kwara Monarchs

A group within the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State has warned traditional rulers in the state to steer clear of partisan politics and political permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group operating under the platform of the Kwara Political Leaders of Thought (KPLT) said royal institutions must maintain neutrality to preserve their moral authority and unifying role.

Daily Trust reports that monarchs from Kwara North have openly led agitation for the ticket to be zoned to the district.

The move has attracted praises and backlash from critics who accused the monarchsnof open partisanship against the demand of their traditional stools.

Last week at a town hall meeting in Ajase Ipo convened by the Kwara North Traditional Rulers Council under the leadership of the Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Umar Bologi II, the monarch sought the collaboration of their counterpart from the south to actualise the project.

But speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the leader of the group, Mohammed Mariam Alhassan, said the strength of the throne lies in impartiality and the trust of all subjects regardless of political leaning.

He warned that once a traditional institution is drawn into partisan battles, it risks losing its sacredness and reverence among the people.

Alhassan said monarchs preside over domains with diverse and often conflicting political interests and aligning with one tendency would inevitably alienate others.

He said such actions could erode the sanctity of the stool and weaken the role of traditional rulers as symbols of unity and stability.

The group noted that the warning became necessary as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections in the state.

“We call on traditional rulers in the state to steer clear of partisan politics and political agitations and permutations. The throne derives its strength from neutrality, moral authority, and the trust of all subjects, irrespective of their political leanings.

“Once a royal institution is dragged into partisan battles, it risks losing its unifying essence and the sacred distance that commands reverence. Monarchs must remember that their domains are home to people of diverse and often conflicting political
interests.

“Aligning with one tendency, no matter the temptation or promised reward, inevitably alienates others and erodes the sanctity of the stool”, they added.

On the issue of zoning, Alhassan said that Kwara state is practically at war, especially due to insecurity challenges in some parts of the state.

He added that, “wars are not won by convenience or sentiment, but by deliberate strategic, and competent leadership.

“Kwara is confronted today with realities that leave us with no
room for emotional politics, convenient assumptions, or
premature conclusions.

“The present reality demands sobriety, honesty, and courage. It requires that our political decisions be driven by capacity, competence, and character, not by sentiment or turn-by-turn calculations

“From Edu to Patigi, Ifelodun to Isin, and from Ekiti to Kaiama, Kwara state has, regrettably, become an epicentre of banditry and terrorism, a situation unprecedented in the history of our state”, he stated.

According to him, “While we admit and commend both the Government of Kwara State led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their sustained efforts at stemming the tide, we hearken to say that communities are still under siege, livelihoods are still threatened, and the sense of safety that once defined Kwara has been gravely eroded.

“In the face of this crisis, it is no longer åcceptable 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”.

He stressed that “The leadership question before us is no longer about where a candidate comes from, but who that candidate 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?

He said, “These are the questions occupying the minds of ordinary Kwarans across the state, not the narrow, primordial sentiments being promoted by a section of the political class”.

The group further said that the ideal leader for Kwara in 2027 can come from anywhere, adding that, “If the best and most capable candidate emerges from the North, we must not hesitate to support such a person and the same thing from the South.

“If competence and capacity reside in the Central, we must equally embrace it.

“At this critical moment, limiting our choices based on zoning or primordial sentiment is dangerous, and the consequences will be borne by all Kwarans”, he said.