Kwara 2027: Why PWS’ Governorship Bid Speaks to Women, Artisans, Small Business Owners

By Oyez Olatunde Rex

Prof. Wale Sulaiman (PWS) has recently declared his intention to become the next governor of Kwara State in the 2027 election. Since then, his name has moved from talk among a few leaders to being one that many ordinary people are discussing seriously.

For many women, artisans and small business owners, the question is simple: What difference would this make to my daily life? This question is apt, and it should be what everyone is asking.

Here’s why his choice to run could be good news for women, artisans and people working in the informal sector, not just politics as usual.

PWS has always been someone Who Listens to People Outside Big Politics.

Prof. Sulaiman isn’t a typical politician who has built his career only on winning elections. He is first known as a medical doctor and a professor who has worked with communities across Kwara. He has talked with people in many local areas, not just in big city halls, before deciding to run for governor. His ability and antecedents of sitting with, speaking with, and proffering solutions to problems in remote parts of the state, shows that he is firstly interested in understanding the people’s real needs before bringing the solution.

PWS does not plan for the people, he plans with the people to find workable solutions.

For women market traders, artisans, tailors, welders, barbers and other workers in the informal sector, the trait described above matters because they often feel that leaders do not understand their daily struggles, like getting customers, paying for school fees, paying for goods or saving money for the future. But now, the possibility of an accessible leader, who feels what they feel is real.

In essence, PWS represents a fresh type of leader. Not the familiar, smooth talking, inaccessible Old Rhetorical politician.

Usually, campaigns focus on who gets to be governor because of where they come from or who asked them to run. Prof. Sulaiman’s message is different: he talks about continuing good work and fixing real problems together, not just winning power.

People in the markets and on the streets want solutions not slogans. They want better roads to their workplaces, easier access to money to grow their businesses, and stronger support when prices rise or when faced with the peculiar challenges of their trades which typical politicians don’t have an idea of. They want their businesses to fluorish.

Women and artisans spend their lives creating things, selling goods, delivering services and building families. But many lack supports like:

Easy access to small loans

Training to grow their businesses

Better market spaces with electricity and water

Fair ways to sell goods without harassment

Although Prof. Sulaiman has not yet shared his detailed plan, but the fact that he has the ability to relate with the lowliest people in the local communities, speaking directly with them and listening, rather than just campaigning in hotels and big meetings, gives hope to those who are tired of broken promises.

Many who are familiar with the RNZ foundation, a pet project of PWS, have no doubt that he Sees People as Partners, not the harbingers of Problems.

Often, most politicians speak about “empowering women” or “supporting traders” in big speeches without even an understanding of what the trader’s Challenges are. That has been largely why the people in markets hardly feel the change. What is different about PWS, and which matters most, is when a leader sees women and artisans as important partners in growing the state’s economy, not people to be satisfied with small gifts or short-term training sessions.

Prof. Sulaiman’s style so far, listening first, and discussing real change with the people who need these changes, signals that he may want to work with people, not just speak at them.

Kwara State under Gov. AbdulRazaq has seen investments in education and technology hubs in recent years. For example, projects like the Ilorin Innovation Hub aim to train young people in new skills and may lead to thousands of jobs. Under a PWS-led government, visions of Malam AbdulRazaq for the innovation hub will be brought alive, even in the lives of rural dwellers which has remained a reservoir of untapped human capital resource for decades.

A leader who understands how to connect grassroots businesses with new opportunities, like digital skills and bigger markets, could help women and artisans move from just surviving to growing their income.

In Simple Terms: Why This Matters to You

Women make up a large part of the informal economy in Kwara. From food sellers to textile traders, from salon operators to small-scale farmers, they keep households and communities running.

What many of them need is not seasonal empowerment programmes.

If you are a woman running a small business, if you fix cars, make clothes, bake bread, carry goods, or sell fish and grains every day, you want a leader who understands:

• Your business is real work with real and peculiar challenges that only you can explain.
• You deserve easier access to money and customers.
• Government should support your growth, not just give handouts.
• Your voice should be heard before and after elections.

Prof. Sulaiman’s entry into the race brings hope that leadership could shift from political noise to real change in people’s everyday lives. That’s something worth watching closely as 2027 draws nearer.