Aaro Meta Kwara South has urged aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress to close ranks and support Hon. Salihu Yakub Danladi in the 2027 governorship election, saying a shift of power to Kwara North would promote equity and fairness.
The political forum made the appeal on Friday through its Coordinator, Engr. Adebayo S. Daramola at a press conference held at the Kwara NUJ Correspondents chapel in Ilorin.
Daramola said Danladi, whom the group identified as the APC governorship candidate and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, deserved the support of party members across the three senatorial districts.
He argued that by May 2027, Kwara Central would have held the governorship for 20 years since 1999, while Kwara South had occupied the office for eight years.
The forum said supporting a candidate from Kwara North would strengthen political inclusion and give residents of the district a greater sense of belonging.
Daramola recalled that Aaro Meta, established in 2016, played an active role in the “O To Ge” movement that brought the APC to power in 2019.
He explained that the forum supported the choice of a governorship candidate from Ilorin at the time without insisting on a particular aspirant, and urged members to demonstrate the same commitment to the party’s collective interest.
Addressing dissatisfied stakeholders, particularly members of the G-15, he appealed for reconciliation and warned that continued division could undermine the APC’s electoral prospects.
“We cannot afford to be a party to the destruction of the house and family we have all toiled to build and nurture all these years,” he said.
Daramola urged unsuccessful aspirants and their supporters to remain in the party, noting that only one candidate could represent a constituency at a time.
He added that effective leadership required the experience and cooperation of party members, regardless of the age of the person elected governor.
The forum pledged to mobilise support for APC candidates across Kwara South and work with other stakeholders to secure victory for the party throughout the state.
It also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for security measures which it said had helped reduce banditry and kidnapping in Kwara South, particularly in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Daramola cited military bases at Oro-Ago and Babanla, alongside what he described as the recent establishment of the 184 Battalion in Omu-Aran, as important interventions in tackling insecurity.
He expressed hope that the increased military presence would help restore lasting peace to affected communities.
