Kwara Governor Warned Over Failure To Constitute Statutory Commissions
A prominent legal stakeholder, Taofiq Olateju, Esq., has issued a stark warning to Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq over the prolonged failure to constitute crucial statutory commissions and governing boards. In a strongly-worded letter, Olateju, a Notary Public and Immediate Past Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin Branch, described the governor’s inaction as a “gross dereliction of constitutional duty” that threatens the state’s governance.
Olateju highlighted two critical lapses: the Kwara State Judicial Service Commission, whose 5-year tenure expired after being constituted on July 21, 2020, and the Kwara State Sports Commission, whose 4-year tenure expired on August 2, 2025. Both commissions remain vacant.
According to Olateju, this failure has created a “dangerous governance vacuum” with severe consequences, including erosion of the rule of law, loss of transparency, undermined public trust, policy paralysis, development setback, and political liability. He noted that Kwara State is now the only state in Northern Nigeria without constituted commissions and agency boards, making it an “anomaly and governance outlier” in the region.
Olateju contrasted the current situation with Kwara’s history since 1999, noting that previous administrations consistently constituted boards promptly upon taking office. He also cited examples from neighboring Northern states, such as Kano, Sokoto, Niger, Katsina, Bauchi, Plateau, Jigawa, and Zamfara, which all have functioning boards.
The letter accuses Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration of centralizing agency functions under direct executive control, effectively weakening internal accountability and undermining democratic values. Olateju warned that this approach is alienating civil society, development partners, and even members of the ruling APC.
Olateju urged the Governor to act swiftly to reverse this trend, framing the issue as a call to restore the “soul of Kwara’s governance.” He emphasized that this is not just a call for board appointments but a call to respect constitutional and statutory duties.
