Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kwara State Chapter and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are engaged in a war of words over the 2018 Offa robbery incident and the current insecurity ravaging the state.
AljazirahNigeria recalls that on Friday, the main opposition party addressed a press conference in Ilorin condemning the attempt by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s administration to reopen the Offa robbery despite the clearance by the Director of Public Prosecution in the Attorney-General’s office that former Governor Bukola Saraki had no connection with the incident.
The PDP said it ‘has taken note of the watery and pedestrian response issued by the APC, following our recent press conference, as well as our leader’s sharp and timely reaction to the unintelligent attempt by the Abdulrahman-led government to resurrect the Offa robbery case as an instrument of blackmail.”
In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, the PDP described APC’s reliance on empty threats such as “you will face the law” as not only laughable, but a clear demonstration of intellectual hollowness.
The party noted that in Dr Saraki’s response to this renewed politically -motivated trial, he unequivocally reaffirmed his innocence and expressed readiness to meet any accuser in court, while also reiterating his confidence in the judiciary.
“Against this backdrop, APC’s posturing is not only redundant, but illogical.
“For the sake of emphasis, we hereby state that there is absolutely nothing new in the documents that Governor Abdulrahaman and his cohorts are currently parading in this renewed court process. These same claims have been previously investigated by security agencies.
It is instructive to remind the public that on two separate occasions, the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, in the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation after thorough review of the police reports, not only absolved Saraki of all allegations, but explicitly stated that there was no link—direct or indirect—between him and the crime or the suspects involved in the Offa robbery.
What further proof does the APC require to accept that Saraki has fully submitted himself to the law even before Governor Abdulrahaman came into office?
“We challenge Abdulrazaq and the APC to answer a simple question: if this matter is genuinely about justice, why was this so-called trial not initiated alongside the original prosecution of the convicted offenders?
It is equally important to recall that the convicts, who initially made televised confessional statements, later told the court that they were coerced by police officials handling the case to implicate Saraki.
“According to them, they were promised visa to leave the country, money, removal from the trial list and other rewards if they implicated him. Is the Kwara State government conveniently blind to these revelations made under oath in open court?”, the party added.
The PDP queried the state government’s attempt to boast about developmental strides, asking if it can deny that Kwara State is currently witnessing an unprecedented surge in insecurity, banditry and the systematic takeover of rural communities, particularly in Kwara South and Kwara North by bandits?
“Records indicate that over 400 lives have been lost to insecurity in Kwara between 2025 and now. The pertinent question remains: why is insecurity declining in other states while escalating dangerously in Kwara State?”
The party said rather than the obsession with bringing Saraki down and making the PDP the scapegoat for his failure, Governor Abdulrazaq would do well to engage in honest self-assessment and corrective action, if it is not already too late.