By Muyideen Aliyu
Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has endorsed Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as his preferred successor for the 2027 gubernatorial election in the state.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday, which was personally signed by the Governor.
The statement read, “Following extensive consultations with party structures and leadership, I am pleased to endorse Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki (MFR) as my preferred successor under the platform of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
The Governor described Seriki as young, pro-people, astute, and broad-minded, noting that he has been a great political mobilizer with profound investments in and extensive goodwill among the people of Kwara State.
He added that Seriki’s capacity makes his choice appropriate for the people of the state at this time.
Governor Abdulrazaq, however, clarified that this endorsement does not in any way preclude other aspirants from contesting in the primaries.
He urged members and leaders of the party to affirm the choice of Seriki as the candidate to ensure cohesion, unity, and the continuous success of the party ahead of the gubernatorial primaries on Thursday.
Stressing that the choice of Seriki was carefully considered, Abdulrazaq maintained that it is neither a disapproval of any of the other eminently qualified aspirants nor a whimsical attempt to delegitimize the noble aspirations of the people.
“But in a race involving some 16 great minds for one office, only one person can take the shot at a time,” the Governor noted.
He further acknowledged and commended the statesmanship of the other aspirants, all of whom he said have shown discipline and impressive capacity to build on the undeniable achievements of his administration over the last seven years for the good of the people of the state.