2027: TOP defies party lines, backs Tinubu, Mustapha, Jiya
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2027: TOP defies party lines, backs Tinubu, Mustapha, Jiya
By Kaosara Olayemi Oladimeji
The Otógẹ́ Progressives, TOP, has on Wednesday, defied traditional party lines in Kwara State by throwing its weight behind President Bola Tinubu and selected candidates contesting under opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The movement declared support for Tinubu’s re-election while also backing Senator Saliu Mustapha for Kwara Central and Hon. Kolo Baba Jiya for Kwara North, despite the candidates’ political affiliations.
The endorsements were made in Ilorin during the unveiling of the National Rainbow Coalition, a political arrangement designed to unite stakeholders across party lines around candidates considered credible by the movement.
Speaking at the event, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe said political party colours should no longer determine the choice of leaders, insisting that competence, credibility, fairness and accountability must take precedence.
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Oloriegbe explained that although many members of TOP remained registered members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the coalition had chosen to support candidates based on their perceived capacity to serve the interests of the people.
He said the arrangement was not motivated by individual political ambitions but by the principles that inspired the 2019 O Tó Gẹ́ movement.
According to him, the coalition remains committed to inclusiveness, internal democracy, fairness, accountability and opposition to political imposition.
“What unites us is greater than individual political interests,” Oloriegbe said, stressing that political parties were merely platforms while the electorate retained the ultimate power to determine who would govern them.
The former senator representing Kwara Central said the Rainbow Coalition should not be interpreted as a division within TOP, arguing that members could belong to different political parties while maintaining common interests on critical electoral issues.
Mustapha challenges AbdulRazaq
The unveiling also provided an opportunity for some members of the coalition to criticise the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Saliu Mustapha challenged the governor to a public debate on the performance of his administration in Kwara Central.
The senator accused the state government of stalling federally funded projects and weakening the influence of elected lawmakers in the state.
Mustapha, who is expected to contest on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said the electorate deserved to hear directly from political leaders on their records and plans ahead of 2027.
Similarly, Hon. Ismail Tijani accused the state government of frustrating constituency projects, alleging that his relationship with the administration deteriorated after he visited former Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Tijani claimed that projects meant for his constituency were subsequently frustrated despite his earlier support for the governor.
For his part, Kolo Baba Jiya accused the state government of neglecting Kwara North and allegedly exploiting political divisions to maintain its political advantage.
He argued that the region needed strong representation at the Senate to attract meaningful development and federal projects.
‘Support for Tinubu unwavering’
Oloriegbe, however, drew a distinction between TOP’s support for Tinubu and its criticisms of the state government.
He said members of the movement had supported Tinubu long before AbdulRazaq emerged as governor and that their backing for the President remained unchanged.
The former senator urged members of the coalition to conduct their political activities peacefully and called on authorities to respect citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of association, expression and political participation.
