2027: ‘Show Kwarans your legislative achievements’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kwara State, Engr. Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu, has challenged the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, to present verifiable evidence of his legislative achievements following his claim to being the most experienced among the state’s gubernatorial candidates.

Kawu’s Media Team, in a statement responding to the Speaker’s assertion, said experience should not be measured solely by the number of years spent in political office but also by professional exposure, institutional responsibilities, measurable achievements and their impact on the lives of the people.

While acknowledging Danladi-Salihu’s eight-year tenure as Speaker, the team argued that the period alone was insufficient to establish his claim without a detailed account of his legislative contributions and their practical benefits to Kwarans.

The team consequently challenged the Speaker to disclose the number of bills he personally sponsored that subsequently became law and explain the impact of such legislation on the state.

“If legislative experience is central to his claim, Kwarans deserve a detailed account of his individual contributions. He should identify the bills he personally sponsored, distinguish them from executive-sponsored legislation, indicate which became law and explain their measurable impact on the lives of the people,” the statement said.

The Kawu Media Team also questioned Danladi-Salihu’s approach to delegation, alleging that he rarely allowed his deputy to preside over plenary sessions, even when he was reportedly away from town.

It argued that effective leadership required not only the ability to exercise authority but also the capacity to delegate responsibilities, build capable teams and ensure that institutions function efficiently in the absence of their leaders.

“Effective leadership is not demonstrated only by the responsibilities one personally holds, but also by the ability to delegate appropriately, build capable teams and ensure that institutions function efficiently in one’s absence,” the team stated.

On professional experience, the team highlighted Kawu’s more than three decades of professional and public service, including his career in the federal public sector and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

According to the team, Kawu’s background provided him with exposure to technical operations, institutional administration, policy implementation and public service delivery, which it said should form part of the assessment of the governorship candidates ahead of the 2027 election.

It maintained that governing a state required a combination of administrative capacity, institutional understanding, sound judgement and the ability to translate policies into practical results.

“The governorship is a demanding responsibility that requires sound judgement, administrative capacity, institutional understanding and the ability to translate policy into practical results. The public conversation should therefore move beyond declarations of superiority and focus on verifiable records of service,” the statement added.

The team urged all governorship aspirants to make their records of service available for public scrutiny, saying voters deserved clear information about their past responsibilities, professional