Kwara poll: The dilemma of Ilorin Emirate
As Kwara State prepares for next year’s governorship poll, the Ilorin Emirate finds itself in an unusual and delicate bind. Two of its most illustrious sons are preparing for the
- By Adekunle Jimoh
As Kwara State prepares for next year’s governorship poll, the Ilorin Emirate finds itself in an unusual and delicate bind. Two of its most illustrious sons are preparing for the contest in different parties.
On one hand is Senator Saliu Mustapha of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He is also the Senator representing Kwara Central District. On the other hand is Suleiman Bolakale Kawu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Dan’Iya of Ilorin Emirate and a retired technocrat at the Rural Electrification Agency.
Both command admiration, widespread followership and communal loyalty. And therein lies the dilemma for the Ilorin Emirate.
The Political Weight of Ilorin
Ilorin Emirate, politically coterminous with Kwara Central Senatorial District, is not just the administrative capital of Kwara State, it is also the gravitational centre of its politics. By most political calculations, the district accounts for nearly half of the state’s voting strength. In electoral arithmetic, that is not just influence, it is dominance.
Historically, whoever controls Ilorin controls the tempo of Kwara politics. But 2027 threatens to turn that dominance inward. Instead of a unified front projecting power outward, the Emirate may face a titanic internal contest between two of its most revered sons.
“This is not just politics,” says Kamaldeen Eleshinla, President of the Ilorin Patriots. “It is an emotional dilemma for the community. Both the Turaki and the Dan’Iya are important figures to us. We honour them both. Unfortunately, they are heading for the same finish line.”
The parallels between the two men are striking.
Both are blue-blooded sons of Ilorin Emirate. Both are holders of prestigious traditional titles. Senator Mustapha bears the revered Turaki title—once held by the late political patriarch Dr. Olusola Saraki and later by his son, former Senate President Bukola Saraki. Engr. Kawu holds the title of Dan’Iya, a position traditionally reserved for Fulani princes within the Emirate’s aristocratic structure.
Similarly, both men enjoy warm relationships with the traditional and religious institutions in the community. Also, both of them are regarded as generous benefactors. In fact, within community circles, they are often described as rivals in philanthropy.
For example recently, days after Senator Mustapha announced a N250 million ultramodern solar power project for the Ilorin Central Juma’at Mosque, Engr. Kawu unveiled a similar solar intervention project in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area. Observers interpreted it less as competition and more as parallel demonstrations of commitment to public good.
“They compete in generosity, and the community benefits from it. But when generosity meets ambition, politics becomes complicated.”
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Xtraying the aspirants
When Senator Mustapha entered the 10th Senate in 2023 as a first-time legislator, expectations were modest. Few bookmakers predicted he would become a central actor in the chamber’s power dynamics. Yet his first major imprint came during the intense contest for Senate leadership. Amid uncertainty and high-stakes negotiations, Mustapha reportedly rallied over 70 first-time senators, playing a significant role in consolidating support for Godswill Akpabio, who eventually emerged Senate President against formidable opposition, including former Zamfara Governor Abdulaziz Yari.
That early show of organisational capacity elevated Mustapha’s standing almost overnight. He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Agricultural Production Services—one of the most consequential committees in a country where agriculture is central to economic diversification and food security.
Under his watch, several multi-billion-naira agricultural and infrastructure-related projects were facilitated for Kwara Central. Supporters argue that he has effectively leveraged legislative power for constituency impact.
But his growing profile has not been without friction.
The episode publicly exposed simmering tensions between the senator’s camp and the state executive, deepening perceptions of a widening political rift.
Kawu: technocrat with grassroots appeal
Engr. Suleiman Bolakale Kawu represents a different archetype. A technocrat with an MBA from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. He recently retired as Director of Projects at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Within federal bureaucratic circles, Kawu was known for overseeing procurement processes, ensuring transparency, and advancing rural electrification initiatives—critical infrastructure in a country battling energy deficits.
Beyond official duties, he has cultivated a reputation for philanthropy, especially in education, healthcare, and youth empowerment in STEM fields. His interventions in infrastructure development and sustainable energy projects have earned him quiet but growing admiration.
If Mustapha’s brand is legislative influence and political organisation, Kawu’s is managerial competence and developmental pragmatism.
A Community at Crossroads
For Ilorin Emirate, the 2027 race is less about party labels and more about internal cohesion. The fear is not that either man lacks capacity, it is that their simultaneous ambitions could fracture the Emirate’s political solidarity.
“This is not a fight between strangers,” Kamaldeen Eleshinla reiterates. “These are two sons of the same soil, two respected titleholders. Whichever way it goes, emotions will run high.”
The Emirate’s strength has historically derived from its unity. But unity becomes fragile when loyalties are divided between equally admired figures.
Beyond 2027
As campaign calculations intensify, one question looms large: can Ilorin manage this contest without eroding its internal harmony? Political contests are inevitable in a democracy. But when rivalry is layered atop kinship, tradition, and shared heritage, the stakes transcend ballots.
The dilemma of Ilorin Emirate is not about choosing between competence and capacity, nor between influence and technocracy. It is about navigating ambition without tearing at the seams of communal solidarity. In 2027, the ballot will decide who governs Kwara State. But long before then, Ilorin must decide how to preserve itself.
