Women supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara Central Senatorial District have taken their mobilisation campaign to the streets of Ilorin, rallying support for President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other party candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rally, held on Saturday, was led by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Women Mobilisation, Monsurat Abimbola Lawal.
The procession began at the General Hospital Roundabout and moved through several parts of the state capital, including Surulere, Agaka, Oja Oba Market, Gambari, Ita-adu, Kankatu, Omoda and Alore.
Dressed in matching outfits, the participants sang solidarity songs and displayed banners supporting the APC and its candidates. The gathering also served as a public demonstration of support for AbdulRazaq’s ambition to represent Kwara Central in the Senate after completing his second term as governor in May 2027.
Speaking during the rally, Lawal said the women were committed to mobilising grassroots support for the governor and other APC candidates across the state.
She described the procession as an expression of confidence in AbdulRazaq’s leadership and urged residents to consider the administration’s record when making their electoral choices.
“We also staged the rally in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC candidates across the state. And we believe that Kwarans are students of history, who have felt the impacts of this government in positive ways,” she said.
Lawal also called on party members to maintain peace and unity as political activities intensify ahead of the elections.
The mobilisation extended beyond campaign messages, with some participants using the gathering to appeal for reconciliation within the ruling party.
Sherifat Balogun, Deputy Speaker of the Ilorin West Legislative Council and councillor representing Warah-Oshin/Egbejila Ward, urged aggrieved APC members to resolve their differences with the party leadership.
Balogun described the rally as a voluntary gathering organised to demonstrate support for the governor and showcase what participants considered the achievements of his administration.
“APC is in charge, as evident in the turnout. We didn’t hire anybody. You can see all of us in uniform,” she said, insisting that the participants had attended out of their own commitment to the party.
She appealed to dissatisfied members to return to the party, arguing that reconciliation would help strengthen its position ahead of the 2027 elections.
Another participant, Ambassador Zakariya Muminat Jumai, praised AbdulRazaq’s administration for what she described as its commitment to gender inclusion and youth participation in governance.
Jumai said women appointed as commissioners, senior special assistants and special assistants had opportunities to contribute to government decisions. She urged APC supporters to sustain their grassroots engagement in the coming months.
Hajia Falilat Saka, popularly known as Iya Eleja, said the rally also demonstrated support for the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, the APC’s governorship candidate for 2027, and other party candidates.
She expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, saying women in Kwara Central and other parts of the state would continue to mobilise support ahead of the elections.
The rally comes amid growing political activity in Kwara State as parties and aspirants prepare for the 2027 polls.
AbdulRazaq’s Senate ambition has become a significant issue in Kwara Central politics. He was screened by the APC’s senatorial aspirants’ screening committee in May, with reports at the time identifying him as the only aspirant to have obtained the party’s nomination and expression-of-interest forms for the seat.
The contest has also featured political disagreements within the state. Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represented Kwara Central in the Senate, left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party and became its senatorial candidate, setting up a potential contest with AbdulRazaq.
Saturday’s rally therefore provided APC women with an opportunity to publicly demonstrate support for the governor’s senatorial ambition, Tinubu’s re-election bid and the party’s wider campaign in Kwara.
