ILORIN, Kwara State — Bishop Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a former presidential candidate, educationist and human rights advocate, has called on Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to review appointments to the governing councils of state-owned tertiary institutions and other government agencies, alleging that Christians have been marginalised.
In a press release dated October 28, 2026, Adesanya-Davies reacted to a report by The Nation newspaper titled, “Abdulrazaq sets up councils for eight state tertiary institutions, nine other offices.”
She expressed concern over the composition of the 17 governing councils, arguing that the distribution of chairmanship positions did not adequately reflect religious diversity in the state.
According to her, only four or five of the 17 chairpersons could be identified as Christians, a situation she described as evidence of a recurring pattern of exclusion in strategic government appointments.
The cleric and academic maintained that Kwara State is a religiously diverse society with qualified Christians across Kwara North, Kwara South and parts of Kwara Central who, she alleged, have not received equitable representation in key public appointments.
She questioned whether qualified Christians were being considered for leadership positions in institutions and agencies such as Kwara State Polytechnic, the International Aviation College, the Scholarship Board, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) and the Kwara State Housing Corporation.
Adesanya-Davies also called on the Kwara State House of Assembly to exercise its oversight responsibilities and urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kwara State Chapter, to speak up on the issue.
She further appealed to Muslims, Christians and other stakeholders to support fairness and inclusivity in public appointments.
“I am not against the appointment of Muslims. I am for the inclusion of Christians,” she stated, stressing that competence and merit should be accompanied by fairness and equitable representation.
She argued that the state’s human capital development objectives could be undermined if qualified members of any religious community felt excluded from opportunities to serve.
Adesanya-Davies urged the governor to review the appointments, insisting that Kwara State’s identity as the “State of Harmony” should be reflected in its governance and public institutions.
However, her claims concerning the religious composition of the appointments and the extent of alleged marginalisation were not independently established in the press release. The governor’s administration’s response to her demands was not included in the statement.
CDA News Nigeria will continue to follow developments surrounding the appointments and any official response from the Kwara State Government.
About the source: Bishop Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies is identified in the statement as a former presidential candidate, professor, educationist, theologian, and human rights advocate.
