Kwara 2023: SDP’s Hakeem Lawal Picks Running Mate

The Kwara state Chapter of Social Democratic Party (SDP) has named a renowned faith leader and retired academician, Rev. Joshua Olayinka Olakunle as it’s Deputy gubernatorial candidate.

Rev. Olakunle who hails from Ora in Ifelodun local government of Kwara state would be running alongside Alh. Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal, who emerged the governorship flag bearer of the party in Its May 31st primaries.

The SDP Deputy governorship candidate is a University of Ibadan trained lecturer and clergy, who rose through the ranks to become a Chief Lecturer at the Kwara state College of Education, Oro before his retirement in 2008.

Rev. Olakunle bagged a bachelor and Masters degree in religious studies from the prestigious University of Ibadan in 1983 and 1988, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from University of Ilorin in 1994.

He has taught at Baptist grammar school, Igbaja and LGEA Primary School, Oke Ayo, Ifelodun local government and ECWA Girls Secondary School, Omu Aran in Irepodun local government of Kwara state between 1967 and 1992. He was also a member of the COED, Oro academic board and Director of the College’s IJMB program.

The astute academician is a passionate community leader who had served Kwara South sociocultural groups and Igbomina land. He is a member of several sociocultural groups, many of which he was saddled with leadership responsibilities. He has chaired, co-chaired and served as secretary to committees that has delivered socioeconomic and political projects to various Igbomina Communities.

Rev. Olakunle has served as Minister-in-Charge at ECWA Church Apapa, Lagos and ECWA Church, Agbeku in Ifelodun local government of Kwara state and an active member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). He was also the Secretary of ECWA local church Council, Offa, Kwara state between 1993 and 2000.

His political affiliation and experience traverses his membership of the SDP in 1993 and later, Action for Democracy (AD), – Accord and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), where he contested the Kwara state House of Assembly seat in 2015. He was a national delegate of the PDP in its 2015 convention and recontest Kwara state House of Assembly seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, before dumping the party for SDP in 2022.

Rev. Olakunle as a Deputy governorship candidate would bring to bare, his depth of knowledge, enormous wealth of experience in administration, community service, integrity and leadership in rescuing Kwara state from the clog of inept administrators, when elected into office come 2023.