.Kwara North joins agitation for seat
Group of Christians in Politics (GOCIP), a religious body in Kwara State, is agitating for a Christian governor for the state in 2027.
Spokesman of the group, Segun Ajiboye, in a chat with The Guardian in Ilorin, yesterday, lamented that after Cornelius Adebayo, who spent three months in office as civilian governor, no Christian had ever emerged as governor of the state since the country returned to democracy in 1999.
Also, Kwara North Development Progressive Union (KNDPU) has started canvassing for a governorship shift from the other two senatorial districts to Kwara North.
According to the National Coordinator of KNDPU, Mohammad Al-Hassan, it is only by this arrangement that the spirit of natural justice, equity and harmonious relationship dictated by love, peace and unity can further be guaranteed in the state.
In 1979, Adamu Attah became the governor and was succeeded by Adebayo, after his first term in office. But the government was truncated by the junta after three months in office. When democracy was restored, Sha’aba Lafiaji emerged as governor, succeeded by Mohammed Lawal after another military intervention in politics. Lawal handed over to Bukola Saraki, who was succeeded by Abdulfatah Ahmed, then the incumbent, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq.
Ajiboye said: “We are demanding a Christian governor in Kwara come 2027. We have no issue with our brothers and sisters from other faiths. But as democrats, we see our demand as democratic.
“We have a sizeable population in this state but our problem is political docility. We have started the needed awareness among our people and come 2027, a Christian governor will emerge in Kwara.”
Former Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kwara, Rev Cornelius Fawenu, believes in the agitation. Noting that there is no single Christian federal legislator in the state, he called for a workable political strategy to make it realistic.
DURING a stakeholders’ engagement summit, organised by traditional rulers under the leadership of Emir Umar Bologi, weekend, Al-Hassan said: “Kwara North has maximally supported Kwara Central and South districts’ ambitions since the advent of the Fourth Republic.
“We are fully aware that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, grants every Nigerian, who meets the requirements, the freedom to vie for offices as an expression of his or her fundamental democratic rights.”
However, in the spirit of natural justice and continuous harmonious relationship based on love, peace and unity, we are strongly appealing to the other two senatorial districts to morally give Kwara North maximum support in 2027 to produce the governor.”
