Kwara 2027: Beyond Zoning-Why Sadiq Suleiman Umar Represents Consensus, Capacity And Continuity-Shola Shittu

As Kwara State grad­ually approaches the 2027 general election and the constitutional conclusion of Governor Abdul­Rahman AbdulRazaq’s second tenure, political engagements across the state have moved be­yond routine speculation into a phase of serious strategic thinking.

The conversation is no lon­ger centred on if political power should rotate, but how that ro­tation should be managed and who possesses the tempera­ment, competence, and political capital to lead Kwara State into its next phase of development under the All Progressives Con­gress (APC).

This emerging reality has placed a renewed focus on Kwara North Senatorial District, whose long-standing demand to produce the next governor is not merely an emotional appeal but a deeply rooted argument based on justice, equity, political balance, and long-term stability of the state.

A review of Kwara State’s political history clearly illus­trates the extent of Kwara North’s marginalization in ex­ecutive leadership.

The zone’s only touch with the governorship seat can be best described as WhatsApp’s ‘View once’ feature, in which messages disappear after be­ing opened just once. Kwara North’s brief taste of power came during the short-lived ci­vilian administration of Gov­ernor Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi, which was abruptly ter­minated by the military coup of November 17, 1993. His tenure lasted barely one year and one month under the Social Demo­cratic Party (SDP).

Since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, Kwara North—despite its pop­ulation strength, geographical spread, and consistent electoral contributions—has remained absent from the state’s highest executive office.

This exclusion has persisted not because the zone lacks qual­ified and experienced leaders, but due to recurring structural disadvantages and internal di­visions whenever the opportu­nity to negotiate power arises.

This historical imbalance has continued to generate legit­imate feelings of political alien­ation, making the 2027 electoral cycle a defining moment not just for Kwara North, but for the future cohesion of Kwara State itself.

While zoning remains a compelling moral and political argument, it must be clearly stated that zoning alone cannot guarantee good governance. Power rotation without compe­tence risks replacing one form of dissatisfaction with another.

The governorship of Kwara State requires administrative depth, political maturity, eco­nomic understanding, and the ability to unify diverse inter­ests.

Therefore, the real test be­fore Kwara North is not simply the insistence on producing a governor, but the ability to present a candidate whose cre­dentials, public record, and ac­ceptability inspire confidence beyond regional loyalty.

Encouragingly, the political mood within Kwara North appears to be evolving. Stake­holders are increasingly recognizing that emotional rhetoric must give way to strategic con­sensus-building.

Consultations involving traditional rulers, party el­ders, youth leaders, women groups, technocrats, and opin­ion shapers have intensified, all aimed at identifying a consen­sus candidate with state-wide appeal.

Through this gradual and organic process, Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar (3SU) has in­creasingly emerged as a uni­fying figure—not by force or imposition, but by the natural alignment of interests across political, social, and genera­tional lines.

Notably, his acceptability has extended beyond Kwara North, resonating within Kwara Cen­tral and Kwara South, where many stakeholders perceive him as a bridge-builder rather than a sectional actor.

Born on June 8, 1970, Senator Sadiq hails from a royal family and as a prince from Kaiama in the historic Borgu Kingdom, he holds the revered traditional title of Dan Amar—‘the be­loved prince’—of Kaiama and Lafiagi Emirates, a reflection of cultural legitimacy and endur­ing community trust.

This deep cultural ground­ing complements his modern political outlook, enabling him to navigate both traditional in­stitutions and contemporary governance structures with ease.

Senator Umar’s academ­ic background reflects early excellence and discipline. He graduated top of his class with distinction from Borgu Second­ary School, New Bussa, before earning a Bachelor of Pharma­cy degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Adminis­tration and a Master’s degree in Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies, also from ABU.

In recognition of his pro­fessional contributions, he is a Fellow of the Academy of Pharmacy, the African Centre for Supply Chain, the Society of Professional Disaster Risk Managers, and the Association of Nigerian Public Administra­tors.

His professional career spans public health, humani­tarian response, and interna­tional development. He man­aged large-scale supply chain and health programmes funded by USAID and DFID, and rose to the position of Technical Direc­tor, West Africa at Axios Inter­national, overseeing complex, multi-country projects.

This exposure endowed him with practical expertise in resource management, transparency, institutional re­form, and performance-based governance—skills indispens­able to modern executive lead­ership.

Since joining elective poli­tics, Senator Umar has main­tained a perfect electoral record. Elected to the Senate in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, he secured about 70 percent of the total votes cast in both elections.

Such consistency reflects sustained grassroots engage­ment, strategic political organization, and trust built over time. In the context of party prima­ries and general elections, this electoral strength represents a critical advantage for both Kwara North and the APC.

Within the National Assem­bly, his influence has steadily expanded. He has served as Chairman of the Senate Com­mittee on Rules and Business in both the 9th and 10th Senates, Vice Chairman of the Com­mittee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and In­vestment.

He also serves on key com­mittees including Appropri­ation, Finance, Power, ICT, National Planning, Petroleum (Downstream), and Local & Foreign Debt.

His representation is marked by tangible develop­ment outcomes. Across the five LGAs of Kwara North, he has executed over 350 constituency projects, spanning education, healthcare, rural roads, elec­trification, agriculture, skill acquisition, scholarships, and annual free medical outreach­es benefiting over 2,000 patients yearly.

Beyond credentials, Senator Umar is widely respected for his measured temperament, humility, and consensus-driven approach. He has maintained a clean public record and enjoys goodwill across party and re­gional divides.

He remains one of the most consistent defenders and promoters of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration, underscoring his commitment to party uni­ty, continuity, and institutional stability.

Through the 3SU Men­torship and Fellowship Pro­gramme, he has invested de­liberately in grooming young leaders across all the three senatorial dis­tricts in the state, aligning with the APC’s progressive ideology and Pres­ident Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Kwara North’s aspiration is legitimate, but its success de­pends on discipline and consen­sus. The APC’s strength lies in unity, and Kwara State’s future demands leadership that can both win elections and govern competently.

 Irrespective of whether the party formally zones its ticket to Kwara North or adopts any other selection method, Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar stands out as the most credible and strategic option when mea­sured by experience, compe­tence, acceptability, loyalty, and electability.

The opportunity is rare. The stakes are high. The time to act wisely is now-Mr Shola Shittu writes from Ilorin, Kwara State