By Favour Raphael
Women in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to the party leadership to reserve the positions of deputy governor and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly for qualified female members ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made in Ilorin on Wednesday by a former House of Representatives aspirant on the APC platform, Mopelola Bashir, following the conclusion of the party’s National Assembly primaries.
Bashir noted that although no woman emerged as the APC’s candidate for the National Assembly, the party still has an opportunity to strengthen its record on gender inclusion by supporting female candidates for the two key state offices.
She commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what she described as his commitment to women’s empowerment, saying his administration has positioned Kwara as a model for inclusive governance through the appointment of women to strategic public offices.
According to her, women have remained loyal to the APC and have played a significant role in the party’s electoral victories across the state’s 16 local government areas through grassroots mobilisation and sustained support for its programmes.
Bashir argued that the demand for greater representation was based on competence, loyalty and service rather than sentiment, expressing confidence that the party leadership would make decisions that promote fairness, unity and inclusive governance.
She also reaffirmed the commitment of APC women to President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the party’s governorship candidate, Salihu Danladi, expressing optimism that the APC could make history by producing both a female deputy governor and a female Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly in 2027.
