A new pressure group, the Kwara Inclusion Advocates, has urged political stakeholders to prioritise merit-based leadership and capacity in the selection of the next governor for the 2027 elections. At a weekend gathering, the group insisted that the primary concern for 2027 should be identifying a candidate who can heal, secure, and unite the state, rather than focusing on whose turn it is to lead.

Similarly, a group within the All Progressives Congress known as Political Leaders of Thought has called for competence over zoning arrangements. Speaking in Ilorin last Friday, the spokesman for the group, Honourable Mohammed Mariam Alhassan, stated that the ideal leader for Kwara in 2027 could emerge from any of the three senatorial districts and should not be determined by rotation.

The Convener of the Kwara Inclusion Advocates, Mr Tunji Adeyemi, further clarified at a press conference that their motivation is not religious agitation. Instead, the group is focused on the need to stabilise the state politically and socially as the next electoral cycle approaches to ensure continued growth.

Adeyemi acknowledged that feelings of alienation persist in different parts of the state, particularly in Kwara South, stressing that ignoring such sentiments could breed resentment and insecurity.

According to him, leadership in Kwara must not be treated as an entitlement or a "turn-by-turn souvenir" but as capacity to govern effectively under pressure.

He said, "As 2027 approaches, Kwara is under pressure from insecurity, declining trust and rising anxiety among citizens.

"These challenges cannot be solved by sentiment or rigid zoning but by strategy, competence and inclusive reassurance".

While respecting calls for zoning the governorship to Kwara North, Adeyemi argued that competence must remain the overriding criterion, adding that competence in a plural society must also be seen and trusted across religious and regional lines.

He maintained that a competent Christian candidate should not be structurally excluded if such a person emerges through an open and competitive process.

Drawing from history, Adeyemi recalled the election of the late Cornelius Adebayo in 1983 and the legacies of former military governor George Innih as evidence that Kwarans have previously embraced leadership beyond identity when competence was evident.

The event attracted prominent stakeholders who echoed the call for inclusive leadership.

In his submission, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo emphasised that competence remains the strongest unifying factor in governance, noting that development thrives where merit prevails over sentiment.

Dr. David Olayemi, in his contribution, highlighted youth empowerment as critical to peace and long-term stability, urging leaders to deliberately invest in young people ahead of 2027.

Prof. (Mrs.) Bolanle Saliu also called for the deliberate inclusion of women in political leadership and decision-making, stressing that no society can progress while sidelining half of its population.

KIA concluded with an appeal to traditional rulers to maintain neutrality, warning that partisan alignment could weaken their unifying authority.

The group insisted that the real question for 2027 is not whose turn it is, but who can heal, secure and unite Kwara State.

Recall that, a group, Political Leaders of Thought (KPLOT) in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for competence of gubernatorial candidate of the party rather than zoning arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections in the state.

Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin last Friday, the group said that, the leadership of the party should root for the ideal personality across the three senatorial districts of the state so as to move the state forward.

The spokesman of the group, Hon. Mohammed Mariam Alhassan said that, "the ideal leader for Kwara in 2027 can come from anywhere; North, South, or Central and should not be determined on zoning arrangement.

He said, "If the best and most capable candidate emerges from the North, we must not hesitate to support such a person".

"If that candidate comes from the South, the same principle must apply. If competence and capacity reside in the Central, we must equally embrace it".