The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for 2027, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, has said his experience, competence and track record distinguish him from other contenders in the race.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Yoruba, Danladi outlined his vision for the state, identifying security, human capital development and infrastructure expansion as the top priorities of his proposed administration.

The Speaker said his seven years of presiding over the state legislature had equipped him with the governance experience and administrative capacity needed to lead the state at the executive level.

"Comparing my background with those in the race today, I sincerely possess more hands-on governance experience than any of them," Danladi said.

"Guiding the legislative arm of government for seven years without rancour or instability demonstrates proven leadership, tact, and competence."

Addressing claims that his emergence as a political contender was an imposition by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Danladi insisted that his leadership had been sustained by the confidence of his colleagues and his performance.

"I was not brought in by the Governor. Anyone who engages me directly will immediately recognise my capacity," he said.

"If I lacked competence, my 23 colleagues in the Assembly would not have retained me as Speaker for seven consecutive years."

Danladi also rejected criticism describing the Kwara State House of Assembly as a rubber-stamp legislature, arguing that cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government should not be mistaken for weakness.

He said executive bills undergo collaboration and scrutiny before being presented to the Assembly, adding that the process was intended to ensure alignment with the public interest rather than create unnecessary political disagreements.

"What does 'rubber stamp' mean? If the executive governor is doing the right thing for the people, what is the essence of fighting him?" he queried.

"Collaboration has yielded visible development across Kwara over the last seven years. The transformation across our state is concrete evidence that the Assembly is focused on results, not political conflict."