A former Senate President and ex-Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, has announced that he will not seek any elective position in the 2027 general elections.
Saraki made the declaration on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stating unequivocally that he would neither run for the presidency nor return to the Senate.
“No, I’m not… I’m not contesting the election,” he said.
On the state of affairs in Kwara, which he has recently criticized over rising insecurity, Saraki explained that his continued political engagement stems from his closeness to the people and concern for governance.
“It’s not that I want to win Kwara by all means. Over the last few years I’ve not been in government, I’ve stayed close to the people and witnessed the challenges they’ve faced. I’ve seen the mistakes made, the lack of expected governance, the hardship, and the insecurity they’ve endured,” he said.
He emphasized his sense of duty as a political leader to support efforts aimed at improving governance in the state, particularly through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“As a responsible leader, I consider it my duty to help ensure they have the best possible governance, which I believe the PDP and our candidates can provide,” he added.
Saraki also criticized the current state of insecurity in Kwara, attributing it to lapses in governance rather than the changing times.
“During my tenure as governor, the situation was not like this,” he said, adding that bandits exploit areas with weak security.
“Most of these bandits have targeted places of least resistance, and they have found Kwara to be such a place because the government simply kept its eye off the ball,” he concluded.
