• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

Engr. Femi Sanni, popu­larly known as Araba, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman of Stafol­ga Group and Flow FM 92.7, has urged the ruling party to deep­en the politics of institutional transition pioneered in Lagos, describing it as one of the most successful models of sub-nation­al development in Nigeria. Sanni said the political cul­ture nurtured in Lagos -- wide­ly credited to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu -- has ensured continuity of governance, ac­celerated development, and strengthened democratic insti­tutions within the state. According to him, Nigeria's progress ultimately depends on the performance and functional­ity of its states. "A country can only be as good as the sum total of its sub-nationals," he said. Sanni made the remarks on Friday during a visit to the Kwara State Secretariat of the APC in Ilorin where he con­gratulated the party leadership led by Prince Sunday Fagbemi following their return during the recently concluded party congress. He said the experience of Lagos demonstrates that po­litical succession anchored on ideas rather than personalities can transform states into viable economic centres. "If we say the United States is a great country, it is because every state contributes meaning­fully to the national strength," he noted. "In Nigeria, we must begin to measure development from the states. If only Lagos and Abuja are functional, that means only two out of thirty-seven units are working effectively." Sanni stressed that strength­ening state institutions and entrenching political continu­ity across administrations will help accelerate national devel­opment. The APC stalwart also com­mended President Tinubu for sustaining progressive political ideals over the decades while praising Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for laying what he described as "a new benchmark for governance in the state." He urged the party leader­ship to consolidate on the gov­ernor's reforms and ensure that future political contests within the party are conducted on a transparent and level playing field. According to him, the strug­gle to install progressive gov­ernance in Kwara was neither easy nor sudden but the product of years of political persever­ance. Recounting the early days of the movement, Sanni recalled that the quest to dislodge en­trenched political structures in the state began decades ago. "I contested for the House of Representatives in 2003," he said. "As I recall, Alhaji Lai Mo­hammed and myself were both on the ballot under the Alliance for Democracy (AD) at the time." He said those early efforts eventually evolved into the broader progressive coalition that culminated in the political movement that reshaped the state's leadership in 2019. Sanni, who is widely regard­ed as one of the early financiers and strategic supporters of the progressive bloc in Kwara, noted that several of the consultations that birthed the movement were held years earlier among party stakeholders committed to polit­ical change. "The effort to rescue Kwara took many years of commitment and sacrifice," he said. "This is why it is important that the party builds lasting leg­acies and avoids returning the state to the old ways of doing things." He urged party leaders to remember the sacrifices made during the struggle for political change and to protect the ideals that produced the current ad­ministration. "It is time to build enduring legacies. That can only happen if we consolidate on the gov­ernance benchmark already established by Governor Abdul­Razaq," he added. Responding, the Kwara APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, commended Sanni for his longstanding commitment to the progressive movement in the state. Fagbemi said the business­man had consistently support­ed the party through different political phases, from the days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Con­gress of Nigeria (ACN) and now the APC. "You have always identified with the progressive family in Kwara," Fagbemi said. "The fruit of the labour of those early years is what we are all benefiting from today. We ap­preciate your commitment." He also urged Sanni not to relent in supporting the party as it prepares for the political challenges ahead. "Our governor will need the steady hands of committed stakeholders like you now more than ever as we look ahead to the future," he said. Sanni maintains significant interests across several sectors including construction, tele­communications, insurance and sports development, and is wide­ly regarded as a key stakeholder in Kwara's progressive political movement. Political observers say voices within the party are increasingly calling for stronger sub-national leadership capable of sustaining the reform momentum current­ly underway in the state. Source: https://independent.ng/araba-apc-must-adopt-lxagos-transition-model-says-nigerias-progress-relies-on-strong-sub-national-govts/