An aspirant in the 2027 governorship race in Kwara State and Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, has withdrawn from the contest.
His decision was contained in a statement he personally signed and released in the early hours of Thursday.
The move comes as political calculations intensify within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of its primaries.
What the statement says
Onilu, a journalist and media executive, said he was encouraged by the calibre of aspirants seeking the party’s governorship ticket.
He, however, announced that he had resolved to step down and back former Kwara APC chairman, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, whom he described as deserving of the ticket.
In the statement titled A Call for Understanding, Onilu commended fellow aspirants for their conduct and urged them to unite behind Bolarinwa.
“With only one ticket available, it is essential that we rally together to support the one who has been destined for it. We must approach this with a spirit of unity and faith, trusting that this is God’s will,” he said.
“Our shared sense of duty and commitment to the welfare of our state must now drive our actions.”
He also called on party members to work towards electoral success, noting that the gains of the APC’s “Otoge” movement should be sustained.
“The journey to build on the successes of the Otoge movement has only just begun,” he said. “We succeeded in 2019 and 2023, and I am confident we can achieve victory once more in 2027.”
Who is Bashir Bolarinwa?
Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa is a former chairman of the APC in Kwara State.
He led the party during its 2019 electoral victory under the “Otoge” campaign, which reshaped the state’s political space.
Bolarinwa hails from Ifelodun Local Government Area in the southern part of the state and is now considered a major contender for the APC governorship ticket.