Prince Sunday Fagbemi has been re‑elected Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, as Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq declared that his administration has “raised the bar of impactful governance” and called on future leaders to build on the progress so far recorded.
The state APC held a peaceful and largely celebratory Congress on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at the Arca Centre Arena, Ilorin, where delegates and party leaders reaffirmed Fagbemi and the State Executive Committee for another four‑year tenure. The colourful event, monitored by a national APC congress committee and INEC, also drew the Governor’s most explicit articulation yet of Kwara’s transformation under his six‑year rule.
APC affirms Fagbemi, other executives
Speaking after the exercise, Chairman of the State Congress Committee, Dr. Alkali Alibe, said the affirmation of Fagbemi and his team was in line with the APC Constitution and reflected a “vote of confidence” in their stewardship.
The Congress was attended by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Speaker of the State House of Assembly Salihu Yakubu Danladi; Senators Lola Ashiru (South), Suleiman Sadiq Umar (North), and Saliu Mustapha (Central); federal lawmakers Raheem Olawuyi Ajulo‑Opin, Mukhtar Tolani Shagaya, and Ahmed Shaba; members of the State Assembly; cabinet members; board and parastatal chairmen; and key party elders, including former APC State Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa.
Fagbemi, a long‑standing ally of Governor AbdulRahman, described his re‑election as a “renewed mandate to strengthen the party’s hold on Kwara ahead of 2027,” and pledged to focus on unity, grassroots mobilisation, and the consolidation of the AbdulRazaq‑led development agenda.
Governor: I have raised the bar of governance
In a reflective address, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said he had deliberately set out to “raise the bar of good and impactful governance” in Kwara by investing heavily in infrastructure, education, basic healthcare, and social security over his six‑year tenure.
He highlighted “unprecedented strides” in infrastructural renewal, particularly in road construction, school rehabilitation, and hospital upgrades, and insisted that the investments completed and ongoing had surpassed the combined efforts of past administrations.
“When we came in, many of our roads were in deplorable conditions, our schools and hospitals were in decay, and many communities felt disconnected,” he said. “Today, you can see the difference in every corner of the state.”
Citing road projects under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) and other state initiatives, the Governor bragged that Kwara now records one of the highest kilometrage of modernised roads in a single term, with over 586km of road constructions and rehabilitations credited to the AbdulRazaq administration in recent years.
“Successor must raise the bar further”
While celebrating the progress, AbdulRahman was quick to stress that he is not seeking to build a political dynasty, but rather “a legacy of development that will stand the test of time.”
“I have raised the bar; as a team we have raised the bar,” he said. “My prayer is that the person who succeeds me will raise it higher, learning from what we have done and adding to it for the benefit of our people.”
Acknowledging that opposition parties will criticise and seek to campaign on certain issues, he challenged them to point to any area where the state has not made visible gains.
“Is it about infrastructure, education, or healthcare?” he asked rhetorically. “We have done exceedingly well. The opposition will have to think very hard about what they will campaign with.”
The Governor also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his national‑level reform efforts, describing the APC‑led federal government as a party with a clear roadmap for a better Nigeria. He pointed to improvements in inflation, exchange‑rate stability, and GDP growth as evidence that the country’s economic direction is being reset.
Fagbemi touts infrastructure and social gains
Building on the Governor’s narrative, Chairman Fagbemi provided more granular statistics to underscore what he described as a “transformative turn” in Kwara’s development trajectory.
He said the APC government has built or rehabilitated over 586km of roads in six years—“the highest road construction achievement in the state’s post‑1999 history”—and deployed 8,912 new teachers, the largest recruitment of teachers in a single regime.
On healthcare, he cited Kwara’s status as the state with the lowest child mortality rate in Nigeria, at just 2 deaths per 1,000 live births, crediting aggressive maternal and child‑health interventions and the expansion of primary healthcare centres. The government has also institutionalised a N50,000 monthly stipend for 10,000 senior citizens as part of its social security outreach.
Unity and the 2027 roadmap
Both the Governor and the re‑elected Chairman sounded strong notes on party unity and the 2027 general elections, cautioning aspirants and party leaders not to allow ambition to fracture the APC’s gains in Kwara.
AbdulRahman reminded party members that the APC’s grip on the state—regained after a turbulent period—had been consolidated because of discipline and shared vision, and urged everyone to “work harder, not be complacent, and build on what we have achieved.”
Fagbemi, for his part, said his team would use the renewed mandate to deepen internal cohesion, streamline the party’s local structures ahead of primaries, and ensure that APC remains the dominant force across all 16 local government areas.
“We are not just celebrating today,” he said. “We are planning tomorrow. Kwara APC is here to stay and to grow stronger with every election.”