Kwara All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi has been announced to be the most preferred by Kwara voters to emerge as the governor of the state in the 2027 gubernatorial elections.
According to NU NorthStar Research, Danladi leads the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Engr Kale Kawu with a wide margin clinching a resounding 63% of the votes of decided voters for the coming elections.
The survey, conducted across the state’s 16 local government areas and 193 wards, projects a commanding lead for the APC governorship candidate, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, in all the three senatorial districts.
The findings, signed by NU Northstar’s Head of Research, Mr Ebuka Iloh, were based on interviews with 30,000 registered voters conducted between September 2 and October 20, 2026.
Among the entire electorate surveyed, Danladi secured 43 per cent support, compared to Kawu’s 24 per cent.
However, 31 per cent remained undecided or declined to disclose their preferred candidate.
Zakari Mohammed of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) garnered one per cent, while Ridwan Apaokagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) recorded less than one per cent.
The breakdown of the governorship race showed Danladi leading in all three senatorial districts and the 16 local government areas.
His strongest performance was recorded in Kwara North, where he secured 71 per cent against Kawu’s 26 per cent among decided voters.
In Kwara Central, the APC candidate polled 56 per cent, while his PDP rival managed 41 per cent.
The contest appeared relatively tighter in Ilorin West, Kawu’s own local government, where Danladi led by 51 per cent to 46 per cent for the opposition candidate.
Despite the APC candidate’s statewide advantage, the research identified 58 wards as too close to call, while Danladi maintained clear lead in 135 wards.
The findings, however, suggest that the final shape of the governorship contest could depend significantly on how undecided voters eventually align.
Kwara South has the highest concentration of voters yet to decide, with 43 per cent undecided. The figures stood at 28 per cent in Kwara Central and 24 per cent in Kwara North.
Significantly, all six local government areas where undecided voters exceeded 40 per cent were located in Kwara South, making the district a potentially decisive battleground in the elections.
Young voters between 18 and 29 years also emerged as a critical electoral bloc, with 37 per cent still undecided.
Among voters who have indicated a voting preference, Danladi enjoys 63 per cent support against Kawu’s 34 per cent, suggesting a substantial advantage for the APC candidate as the political contest gathers momentum.
