The Coalition of Ilorin Emirate Forum has distanced Ilorin Emirate youths from a recent endorsement of Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi for the 2027 governorship election, describing the move as an attempt to falsely present a private political position as the collective stance of the Emirate’s youth population.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by its Convener, Baba Rasheed, the group expressed concern over a press conference held by certain individuals who claimed to be speaking on behalf of Ilorin Emirate youths in support of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly.
The coalition maintained that while individuals and groups are free to support candidates of their choice, no organization has the authority to appropriate the identity of Ilorin Emirate youths for political purposes without a legitimate mandate.
According to the statement, investigations conducted by the coalition revealed that some of the individuals presented as representatives of Ilorin Emirate youths were not from the Emirate, while the lead spokesperson at the event was reportedly an aspirant seeking election into the Kwara State House of Assembly from the Share/Oke-Ode Constituency.
The forum questioned the basis upon which such individuals could claim to represent the interests and opinions of Ilorin Emirate youths, arguing that the endorsement lacked legitimacy and broad-based consultation.
“It is unacceptable for a handful of individuals to gather and project their personal political preferences as the collective voice of Ilorin Emirate youths,” the statement said.
The coalition further argued that if Rt. Hon. Danladi had already secured significant political backing, there would be no need to seek validation through what it described as “manufactured endorsements” under the banner of Ilorin Emirate.
The group warned against using the name and identity of the Emirate as a political tool, insisting that Ilorin Emirate’s reputation for unity, political maturity, and inclusiveness should not be undermined by actions capable of creating unnecessary divisions among its youths.
It stressed that the Emirate has not adopted any collective position regarding the 2027 governorship race and that no group, association, or political actor has been authorized to speak on behalf of its youths on the matter.
The coalition urged political aspirants to market themselves based on their vision, competence, leadership qualities, and public acceptance rather than through what it described as the appropriation of communal identities for partisan gain.
Reaffirming its position, the forum declared that the political future of Ilorin Emirate would be determined by its people at the appropriate time and not through “staged endorsements, borrowed voices, or manufactured narratives.”