Profile
Alhaji Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed is a former governor of Kwara State, who served between 2011 and 2019. He defected from the People’s Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress in 2014, during the buildup of the 2015 general elections. In the latter years of his second tenure as governor, he defected back to the People’s Democratic Party. Ahmed is a banker and public servant.
Personal Life
He was born on 29th December 1963, in Share, Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State. He is a Muslim, married to Mrs Omolewa Yetunde Ahmed, who is a Christian, and together they have three children. Ahmed has been honoured with several chieftaincy titles including Otunba of Igbaja, Seriki Adinni of Share, Otunba of Ira, Agba-Akin of Oreke Land and Otunba Atunluse of Oreke-Igbo Land. He speaks Hausa, Yoruba and English fluently.
Education
| School | Qualification | Year |
| University of Ilorin, Kwara State | Master of Business Administration (MBA) | 1992 |
| University of Ilorin, Kwara State | B.Sc Chemistry | 1986 |
| Basic Studies of Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Kwara State | 1978-1980 | |
| Government College Funtua, Katsina State | 1973-1978 |
Work History
| Place | Position | Date |
| Shonga Farms Holdings Ltd. | Chairman | |
| International Aviation College, Ilorin, Kwara State | Member, Board of Directors | |
| Guaranty Trust Bank | Head of Institutional Banking Group for the Northern region | 2003 |
| Societe Generale Bank Nigeria | Senior Manager/Group Head, Consumer Banking | 1998 |
| Guaranty Trust Bank | Credit and Marketing Unit | 1993 |
| District Savings and Loans, Lagos State | Assistant Manager | 1991-1993 |
| Federal College of Arts and Science, Sokoto State | Lecturer in Organic Chemistry;
Acting Head of Department |
1986-1990 |
SaiMaigida
Share Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara
29 December 1963
Kwara State
All Progressive Congress (APC)
Islam
Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development Kwara State Administration and Governor of Kwara State
abdulfata.ahmed@kwarastate.gov.ng
Political History
In 2003, Ahmed’s political career took off when he was appointed the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development at the commencement of Bukola Saraki’s Kwara State administration. He held this position until 2009 when he was moved to become the Commissioner of the newly created Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.
During this time, Ahmed also served as the:
Treasurer of the forum of Commissioners of Finance in Nigeria (for six years)
Chairman of the Budget Formulation Committee and Economic Team of Kwara State.
In 2011, Ahmed contested for the governorship seat of Kwara State, on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party. In the 26 April 2011 elections, he won 254,969 votes, defeating his closest rival, Dele Belgore of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who got 152,580 votes.
In 2014, Ahmed defected from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. He was one of the five governors who walked out of PDP with other chieftains, in the buildup to the 2015 general elections, in order to strengthen the All Progressives Congress that eventually chased their former platform out of power.
In 2015, he ran for a second term as the Governor of Kwara State, and he was elected on the platform of APC. On July 31st 2018, following the then-Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s resignation from APC, Ahmed also announced his defection from APC back to PDP, saying that he made his decision after much consultations with the people of his state.
Leadership Style/Philosophy
Awards & Honours
- 2019 Vanguard’s Governor of the Year Award
- 2017 Man of the Year Award conferred by LEAD Project Africa
- 2014 HOG Governor of the Year Award
- 2013 Business Day’s Best Governor in Agriculture
- 2013 Best Governor in Education conferred by the Nigeria Union Teachers
- 2013 City People’s Best Governor in Youth Empowerment
- 2011 Global Excellence Award for Best Governor in Northern Nigeria
- 2011 City People’s Best Governor, North Central
- 2011 African Leadership Magazine’s Outstanding Agricultural Development Icon of the Year
- Business Day’s Best Governor in Youth Development and Sports
Project
- Introduction of the Kwara Micro-Credit Intervention Scheme
- Facilitated the opening of the International Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre in Ajase Ipo, Irepodun local government, Kwara State
- Computerization of Kwara State Treasury
- Improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by almost 400% from ₦64 million
- Introduced E-Budgeting system for efficient and effective preparation process, thus improving fiscal discipline
- Construction of an engineering complex at the Kwara State University
- Subsidised tuition at the Kwara State University by 30%
- Launched Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme (KHIS) , with an initial funding of ₦200 million
- Produced the first Medium Term Sector Strategies (MTSS) in Kwara State as a foundation for future sound economic development
- Raised ₦30 billion in bonds for the support of capital developmental projects – the Aviation College, Kwara State University, Stadium and the State Secretariat renovation, municipal water distribution, the Diagnostic centre and Irrigation schemes
- Facilitated youth empowerment and poverty alleviation programs to all the wards in Ifelodun local government, which involved distribution of Tractors, Water Tankers, Grinding machines, Sewing machines, Hair Dryers, Barbing Salon kits, Text books, Scholarship awards, Phone accessories, Mobile Phone centres, etc
- Prudent management of state resources which earned the Kwara state government excellent ratings by the Fitch Rating International (an international Rating Agency); the very first by any state in Nigeria
Criticism/Controversy
- In May 2021, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the sales of Kwara State Government Assets between May 1999 and May 2019, a commission set up by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, accused Ahmed of selling state assets at suspiciously low prices to cronies. The commission recommended Ahmed and his predecessor, Governor Bukola Saraki for prosecution. Ahmed, along with Saraki and others, was said to have illegally sold government properties outside the state and grossly mismanaged state assets.
- On 17th May 2021, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission detained Ahmed for a second time, after seven hours of interrogation pertaining to over ₦9 billion that was allegedly diverted from the Kwara State government. The money was alleged to have been diverted over the course of Ahmed’s time as Governor and his time as Finance Commissioner in the Governor Bukola Saraki administration.
- In December 2020, Ahmed was arrested by Nigerian authorities in connection with his alleged involvement in a long-running financial fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been probing his wife’s involvement as well. The fraud is estimated to have reached ₦2 billion.
- Ahmed’s construction of a ₦3.7 billion underpass at Gerin Alimi Junction, Ilorin, was criticised by the populace as a misplacement of priority.
- The Convener, Kwara Development Initiative, Mr Abdulmumin Ajia, scored Abdulfatah Ahmed’s administration low, alleging that the governor made no impact on the lives of the people. This was supported by the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission, Mr Moddibo Kawu, and a former chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Prof. Shuaib Oba.
- About N11.9 billion was stolen from the treasury of Kwara State between 2011 and 2019, an audit report commissioned by the state government says.
