Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has privately put forward the name of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, as his preferred successor, according to multiple people familiar with the matter, signaling an early and largely behind-the-scenes effort to shape the state’s next governorship race.
The governor recently conveyed his position to President Bola Tinubu, arguing that power should rotate to Kwara North, a district that has not produced a governor since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the people said.
The move, described by insiders as calculated but not unexpected, places Danladi among the leading contenders in what is shaping up to be a closely watched succession battle. Another prominent figure from the district, Senator Sadiq Umar, is also considered a strong aspirant.
“He went to the president with the name of the speaker as his preferred successor and the gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” one senior party figure said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. “But some aspirants already know, and they are working their own channels in Abuja. The governor may have influence, but he may not have the final say.”
People familiar with the president’s thinking say no decision has been made. Instead, Tinubu is weighing competing interests and recommendations from within his political circle and beyond.
“A prominent figure from Kwara North met the president, who mentioned that the governor had submitted a name,” one source close to a leading aspirant said. “That message got back to Kwara, and that is how we first became aware. Since then, there has been quiet preparation for different outcomes.”