EXCLUSIVE: Sunday Fagbemi loses out as Shade Omoniyi tops consideration for Deputy Governorship Ticket
Fresh indications have emerged that the Chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), Mrs Folashade Omoniyi, has emerged as the leading contender for the deputy governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, dealing a major blow to the ambitions of the party's state chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi.
Multiple sources familiar with high-level consultations within the ruling party told Kwara Reporters that power brokers around Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq have increasingly settled on Omoniyi as the preferred running mate, pushing aside other aspirants who had been aggressively lobbying for the position.
For weeks, Fagbemi had been widely tipped by party insiders as a frontrunner for the ticket, with some stakeholders arguing that his loyalty to the governor and role in stabilising the party after years of internal wrangling made him deserving of the position.
However, sources said recent consultations within the governor's inner circle have altered the equation, with attention now focused on Omoniyi.
Also said to have been considered for the position are Mr Femi Sanni, a Christian politician from Ilorin East Local Government Area, and Mr Obasanjo Alasi, popularly known as SOJ, a Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Governor AbdulRazaq.
"But from what we are hearing, the pendulum has swung decisively in favour of Shade Omoniyi. The people who matter in the decision-making process appear to have settled on her," a senior APC source familiar with the discussions told our correspondent.
From Banking Executive To Political Contender
Born on March 26, 1968, Omoniyi currently serves as the Executive Chairman of KWIRS.
Before her appointment by Governor AbdulRazaq, she built a career in the banking and information technology sectors.
She worked as an engineer in the IT industry between 1990 and 1997 before joining African International Bank as Head of IT and Systems Administration. She later moved to First Bank of Nigeria, where she rose through the ranks and served in several strategic positions, including Head of Networks and Communication Management.
In 2016, she was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FBN Mortgages Limited, a subsidiary of First Bank of Nigeria, a position she held until 2019.
A Tenure Dogged By Controversies
However, Omoniyi's years at the helm of KWIRS have been repeatedly dogged by controversies.
One of the major crises that trailed her administration was a prolonged dispute with workers and labour unions within the agency, resulting in tensions over staff welfare and management decisions.
Her administration also came under scrutiny following the termination of a road tax collection retainership contract previously handled by Courteville Business Solutions.
The contract was subsequently awarded to Project Phoenix Limited, a company critics alleged was linked to her husband, Biodun Omoniyi.
The development generated public criticism at the time, with some stakeholders accusing the agency of conflict of interest and lack of transparency.
Omoniyi was also linked to an alleged N8 Billion tax racketeering scandal that reportedly surfaced in 2022 and prompted calls for investigation.
Although a probe was said to have been initiated, this medium could not independently establish the outcome of the investigation or whether any official sanctions were imposed.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the APC leadership nor the Kwara State Government had issued an official statement on the ongoing consultations.
Sources, however, insist that discussions have advanced considerably and that Omoniyi remains the favourite of influential figures around the governor.
If eventually selected, she would become one of the most powerful political figures in Kwara State and potentially the first woman to occupy the deputy governorship position in the state.
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