The Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC Bello Mubarak Salau with Hon. Oluwaseun David Oguniyi as running mate to Yakubu Danladi Salihu.
INEC had earlier listed as APC deputy governorship candidate, while Oguniyi is a serving lawmaker for Ojomu/Balogun Constituency from Offa Local Government.
The 52-Youth Coalition, through its secretary, Bashir Amid, criticised the switch and questioned using two serving lawmakers, urging Kwarans to assess all candidates’ records.
Oguniyi, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency, is from Offa Local Government Area of the state. He is popularly known as Adato.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier listed Bello Mubarak Salau as the APC deputy governorship candidate.
The replacement, however, has drawn criticism from the 52-Youth Coalition (52-YC), which described the development as unusual.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Bashir Amid, the coalition questioned the decision to field two serving members of the state House of Assembly as the APC’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates.
The group alleged that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the APC leadership had settled on Salihu as the governorship candidate and Oguniyi as his running mate, while another member of the Assembly would be positioned to become Speaker.
The coalition also questioned the choice of serving lawmakers for the two top executive positions in the state.
It said the arrangement had raised concerns about the level of executive experience on the APC ticket.
The group further argued that the decision had left out other qualified indigenes of Kwara State with experience in the private sector, academia and other professional fields.
It compared the APC ticket with that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which it said has Engr. Kale Kawu as its governorship candidate and Rev. Fawenu as his running mate.
The 52-YC urged Kwarans to examine the records, experience and programmes of all candidates as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
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