Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe has formally declared his intention to seek the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket for the 2027 election in Kwara State, throwing his hat into what is fast becoming a crowded and closely watched succession race within the ruling party.
In a letter to party leaders, elders and stakeholders, Oloriegbe said his decision followed consultations, prayer and reflection, adding that he was stepping forward to offer experienced and results-driven leadership for the state.
Oloriegbe, a medical doctor and former lawmaker, is presenting himself as a candidate with experience across the private sector, public service and international development.
He previously served as Majority Leader in the Kwara State House of Assembly, represented Kwara Central in the Senate, chaired key health committees in the National Assembly, and now heads the governing council of the National Health Insurance Authority. He also cited his role in the NHIA Act 2022, the Mental Health Act and efforts to attract federal health institutions to Kwara as part of his record in public office.
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His declaration comes amid mounting interest in the succession to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has publicly denied backing any preferred candidate. Speaking at the APC state congress in Ilorin, the governor said the party would not impose a successor and insisted that whoever emerges would do so through an open, merit-based process. He added that as many as six aspirants, including a member of the state House of Assembly, had already shown interest in the race.
The battle for the APC ticket is being shaped by two major issues: zoning and internal power balance. While Governor AbdulRazaq has dismissed the idea of an anointed successor, pressure has continued to build from Kwara North, whose leaders argue that the district deserves the governorship on grounds of equity because it has not produced a civilian governor in the current democratic dispensation.
The APC Elders Caucus in the state has openly backed a consensus candidate from Kwara North, warning that delays in managing the process could fuel rivalry within the party.
Within the APC, several names are already being mentioned across the three senatorial districts. From Kwara North, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, is widely seen as a possible beneficiary of the power-shift argument, while Senator Sadiq Umar has also been linked with interest in the race.
From Kwara Central, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman and businessman Yahaya Seriki are among prominent figures being discussed. In Kwara South, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, Deputy Senate Leader Oyelola Ashiru, neurosurgeon Prof. Wale Sulaiman and former APC Chairman, Dr. Bashir Bolarinwa have all featured in succession conversations.
The profiles of the likely contenders show how fluid the race remains. Danladi-Salihu is being projected by supporters as a youthful lawmaker with grassroots appeal; Saliu Mustapha is banking on long-standing party experience and visibility in Kwara Central; Bolarinwa is leaning on his role in leading the APC structure that broke the Saraki political machine in 2019; while Wale Sulaiman is being marketed as a technocrat with international stature. Ashiru, meanwhile, is seen as one of the more visible mobilisers in Kwara South.
Beyond the APC, opposition parties are also quietly positioning for 2027. In the PDP, names mentioned include former Speaker Ali Ahmad, former Chief of Staff Ladi Hassan, engineer Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu Agaka and Omar Bolaji Gambari, while the ADC has been linked with former federal lawmaker Mashood Mustapha and Professor Abdulmumin Ajia. That wider movement suggests that while the APC remains the dominant force in Kwara, the governorship contest is already developing into a broader struggle over succession, zoning and political survival ahead of 2027.
For now, Oloriegbe’s formal entry gives the contest a sharper edge. His declaration moves the succession debate from quiet lobbying to open political positioning, and signals that the race for Government House in Ilorin may be one of the earliest and most competitive governorship battles to take shape ahead of the 2027 election.
Crediblenewsng.com
