A new civic advocacy platform in Kwara State, the One Kwara Agenda (OKA), has called for unity, fairness, and merit-based leadership in the state.
The initiative that was launched on Monday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat said it aimed at placing the state in a proper democratic shape.
The convener, Dr. Femi Adetola, described the movement as a response to the growing divisions along ethnic, religious and regional lines in the state.
“The One Kwara Agenda is a response to the rising tides of divisive politics, ethnic profiling, and sectional sentiment,” he said.
According to Adetola, OKA is a non-partisan, people-centred movement made up of professionals, students, clerics, market women, elders, and youths, united by the belief that Kwara’s strength lies in its diversity.
“We are neither enemies of any region nor agents of any political party; we are patriots who believe that a Kwara divided is a Kwara denied of growth, peace, and development.”, he noted.
He emphasised that competence, character, and capacity, not ethnicity, religion, or ancestry, should guide leadership at all levels, saying: “as long as you are capable and sound, you should be free to aspire to leadership without hindrance.”
Outlining the group’s plans, Adetola said the group would soon embark on civic engagements through town hall meetings, community dialogues, press briefings and campus events, while also driving media campaigns on radio, television and digital platforms to reshape public discourse.
“Our aim is to promote unity consciousness and shift focus from sectional interests to collective progress,” he insisted.
He disclosed that the platform also intends to publish position papers on equitable development and representation, nurture a new generation of leaders through boot camps and fellowships, and collaborate with traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, youth groups, and civil society to strengthen unity and fairness in governance.
He said: “We want to raise leaders who value justice and meritocracy over sentiment.”
He, however, urged politicians in the state to stop “weaponising diversity” and rather to campaign on ideas that promote development.
He also appealed to citizens to reject identity politics and demand competence and fairness in leadership.
“We call on our traditional rulers and religious leaders to be bridges, not barricades, and on the media to shape narratives that build, not break,” he said.
Warning against the dangers of disunity, Dr. Adetola emphasised that peace and progress can only be achieved if Kwara rises above sectional divides.
“Kwara cannot develop when it is at war with itself. A house divided cannot stand. The One Kwara Agenda is not just a slogan — it is a moral imperative, a generational responsibility, and a political necessity. We are One Kwara. One People. One Future with Shared Destiny,” he declared.
