In every true democracy, the heartbeat of governance is fairness, the soul is equity, and the engine is competence. Tajudeen Habeeb, 2026.
Let me state this plainly from the outset: I am a politician guided by the sacred principle of party supremacy. My personal convictions firmly align with the agitation for equity and a governorship for Kwara North. However, my commitment to our party’s unity and established processes remains unwavering.
Should the party’s decision diverge from my personal view, I will, as a dedicated member, uphold its final determination with loyalty and discipline.
That said, it is imperative that we honestly examine the trajectory of leadership and governance in Kwara State since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Our state has operated under an unspoken yet powerful political arrangement.
Since 2011, Kwara Central and Kwara South have produced the state governor in an alternating pattern—an arrangement ostensibly designed to ensure equitable representation across our senatorial districts.
However, one glaring anomaly persists: Kwara North Senatorial District has yet to produce a governor in 25 years of democracy.
This is not merely a statistical footnote or political trivia. It is a profound question of justice and representative balance that strikes at the very core of our democratic principles and threatens the social cohesion of our state.
Recently, the agitation for power to shift to Kwara North has grown louder a natural and entirely legitimate response to a quarter-century of systematic exclusion.
Yet alarmingly, this genuine call for inclusion is being met with resistance that has, in some quarters, escalated to the deliberate criminalisation and demonisation of both the agitators and their cause.
To label a pursuit of fairness as divisive, or to frame the quest for equity as a threat to stability, is not just politically expedient it is a dangerous subversion of democracy itself.
Democracy, as originally conceived, is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. This profound idea led to the formation of the legislative arm of government, specifically designed to ensure proper representation of all constituencies.
Consider Nigeria’s legislative structure: The Senate ensures that every state, regardless of size or population, has equal voice three senators each.
The House of Representatives balances this with representation based on population. This bicameral model was crafted with singular wisdom: to ensure that no group is perpetually sidelined, that every constituency has a meaningful stake, and that governance benefits from the diverse competencies of all its people.
Here lies the critical question: If we accept this model for our legislature if we affirm that it is right and just for Kogi, Bayelsa, and Lagos to each have three senators despite vast differences in size and population compared to Kano, Rivers and Niger why do we reject its spirit for our executive branch?
If we believe that Kwara North deserves its senators and representatives in the House to speak for its people, how can we simultaneously argue that these same people are unworthy, unready, or divisive for seeking the state’s highest executive office?
The legislative principle underscores a universal democratic truth: Inclusive representation is not a favour to be granted; it is a fundamental right that stabilizes the polity and enriches governance.
I have encountered suggestions sometimes subtle, sometimes explicit questioning the “readiness” and “competence” of Kwara North for the governorship. Let me be clear: This is not only a dangerous path to tread; it is profoundly unfair and factually baseless.
To suggest that a senatorial district with a population exceeding one million people lacks the human resources to govern our state is not just insulting it defies logic and observable reality.
The implication that an entire zone is inherently deficient in leadership capacity is both discriminatory and demonstrably false.
Let me state this as a clarion call: This agitation is not, and must never be framed as, a charity case or affirmative action for the less capable.
Kwara North is replete with competent, experienced, youthful, energetic, and visionary individuals who are more than capable of governing the entire state with distinction. I have one in mind.
This agenda is about expanding the pool of leadership, not lowering the bar. By excluding an entire zone for a quarter century regardless of the rationale offered our state has been depriving itself of a vast reservoir of potential talent, fresh perspectives, and innovative leadership.
The real question is not whether Kwara North has capable leaders. The question is whether Kwara State can afford to continue ignoring them.
It is fundamentally unjust for one segment of a tripodal state to be consistently excluded from the leadership table.
The consequences of such exclusion extend far beyond hurt feelings or political grievances. Political Alienation, Perpetual exclusion breeds deep-seated alienation and disenfranchisement, weakening the social contract and eroding trust among the constituent parts of our state.
By restricting leadership opportunities to two-thirds of the state, we deny ourselves access to the full spectrum of our human resources and intellectual capital.
Historical grievances, when left unaddressed, do not dissolve with timethey compound, creating fault lines that can fracture our political stability.
A government that systematically excludes a significant portion of its population from its highest office cannot claim full democratic legitimacy or expect complete loyalty from those excluded.
We must embrace equity that recognizes historical imbalances and actively seeks to correct them. We must level the political field and ensure that no region monopolizes power to the permanent detriment of others.
Rotation and power-sharing arrangements are not novel concepts invented by agitators or troublemakers. They are proven tools of equity practiced in many Nigerian states and indeed in democracies worldwide to foster unity, prevent domination, and ensure that governance reflects the diversity of the governed.
To criminalize this genuine cause is to set a dangerous precedent. It sends the chilling message that the political establishment will not tolerate legitimate challenges to the status quo, even when that status quo is fundamentally unjust. It conflates peaceful advocacy with sedition and transforms citizens into suspects simply for asking for their democratic due.
This tactic is nothing more than intimidation designed to silence legitimate discourse and maintain an imbalance of power. History teaches us that such approaches do not quell agitation they only deepen resentment, radicalize moderates, and ultimately undermine the very peace and unity they claim to protect.
Today, Kwara State stands at a critical crossroads. We can choose the path of exclusion with its attendant strife and instability, or we can embrace the path of justice, wisdom, and inclusive growth.
To the political class, especially those in power and from other zones. Rise above parochial interests and short-term calculations.
Lead a dignified, constitutional process of dialogue and negotiation that acknowledges this historic grievance. Recognize that a truly united Kwara is stronger than one held together by the systematic exclusion of its parts.
To the people of Kwara North and their allies from other regions. Continue to advocate peacefully, intelligently, and relentlessly. Build bridges across the state to demonstrate that this is not a narrow sectional agenda, but a Kwara Agenda for democratic renewal and inclusive governance. Present your best candidates men and women whose competence makes the case for change undeniable.
To all citizens of Kwara State: Engage this conversation with open minds and generous spirits. Ask yourselves whether our current arrangement truly reflects our highest democratic values or merely perpetuates an inherited injustice.
For democracy to thrive, it must be experienced as a living, just, and inclusive system by all constituents—not merely proclaimed in speeches and manifestos. Kwara’s political stability and future prosperity depend fundamentally on our collective ability to right this longstanding wrong.
Criminalizing the call for justice will not make it disappear. It will only make the eventual resolution more difficult, more divisive, and potentially more destructive to our state’s cohesion.
The time for fairness, equity, and the opportunity for competent leadership from Kwara North is not just right it is long overdue.
This is not about charity. It is not about lowering standards. It is not about division.
It is about democracy. It is about justice. It is about finally living up to the promise of inclusive governance that we have proclaimed but not yet fully practiced.
The question before us is simple: Will Kwara State be a democracy in name only, or will it be a democracy in truth and practice? The answer we give will define our state for generations to come.
Tajudeen Habeeb is an APC member.
Writes from Adewole Ward, Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State.