AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is the Governor of Kwara State and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. A businessman from a prominent Ilorin family, he lost several elections before winning in 2019 on the APC’s “O to ge” (“enough is enough”) wave, which ended the Saraki family’s long dominance of Kwara politics.1
Background
AbdulRazaq was born on 5 February 1960, the son of Abdulganiyu AbdulRazaq, a senior lawyer and First Republic politician. He ran an oil business, First Fuels, before entering politics.1
Elections
He contested the governorship in 2011 and the Kwara Central Senate seat in 2011 and 2015 without success. In 2019, as the APC candidate, he won the governorship, and he was re-elected in March 2023 against the PDP’s Yaman Abdullahi.1
Governor (2019–present)
His government launched KwaraLEARN, a programme to train and support teachers in public primary schools, along with investments in roads, health and the Ilorin Innovation Hub.1 In February 2020 the ICPC summoned his wife and others in a corruption investigation.1
In May 2023 his fellow governors elected him chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, succeeding Aminu Tambuwal.1 He cannot run for governor again in 2027.
Personal life
He is married to Olufolake AbdulRazaq, and they have three sons.1
Abdulfatah Ahmed
