Former Commissioner Joins APC Guber Race in Kwara

A former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Kwara State, Mahalia Aisha Ahman-Pategi, has formally joined the race for Kwara Governorship seat in the forthcoming 2027 polls.

With her declaration, the aspirant becomes one of the first female contenders eyeing the coveted seat from Kwara North, a zone strongly agitating for a shift of power to the area in the next round of general elections.

Addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Ilorin yesterday, Ahman-Pategi said her declaration matches a moment where courage meets purpose and where the voice of the people rises above fear. 

The governorship aspirant who is fondly called “Mama Oyoyo” by her admirers and teaming supporters assured Kwarans that if given the opportunity, she will run an inclusive government with a focus on job creation and economic empowerment.

She pledged to leverage youth power and innovation, agriculture and industrial growth, energy, and infrastructure, as well as place women at the centre in addressing the welfare of the citizens.

Referencing her campaign mantra, ‘A New Dawn, A New Hope and A New Kwara’, she described her declaration as a movement built on hope, unity, and a belief that strongly harps on togetherness.

Earlier, a former speaker of the state assembly, Ezekiel Benjamin-Issa, Senior Special Assistant Media and Public Relations, Jerry Kolo and other stakeholders had in their submissions alluded to the credibility of Ahman-Pategi describing her as a woman of substance, timber and calibre.

In the meantime, the aspirant had submitted a letter of intent to contest the 2027 governorship seat to the leadership of Kwara APC.

She stormed the Kwara APC state secretariat in the company of her admirers and loyalists across the state.

In her remarks, the female governorship aspirant said her decision was based on the resolve to build on the foundation laid by Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq and positively impact the lives of the downtrodden masses.

Responding, the APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, thanked her for the visit, assuring her of a level playing ground in the contest.