2018 Offa Dacoity: Kwara PDP Reasserts Saraki’s Innocence, Accuses APC Of Spreading Misinformation
Kwara State PDP on Sunday reacted to what it described as ‘watery and pedestrian response’ issued by the state 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 and use it as an instrument of blackmail’.
In a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party noted that in Dr. Saraki’s response to the decision to file charges against him, he unequivocally reaffirmed his innocence and expressed readiness to meet any accuser in court, while also restating his confidence in the Nigerian judiciary.
‘Against this backdrop, the 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 the 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 a thorough review of the police reports, not only absolved Dr. Saraki of all allegations but also explicitly stated that there was no link—direct or indirect—between him and the crime or the suspects involved in Offa robbery . What further proof does the APC require to accept that Dr. Saraki has fully submitted himself to the law even before Governor Abdulrahaman came into office?
We challenge Governor Abdulrahman 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 officers handling the case to implicate Dr. Saraki. According to them, they were promised visa to leave the country, money, removal from the trial list, and other rewards if they could implicate Dr. Saraki’ the party submitted.
PDP also assessed the security situation in the state and submitted that there is ‘cause for concern’.
‘Ironically, the APC also attempted to boast about developmental strides—an effort that only exposed Abdulrahaman’s glaring failures. Can the APC 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 the bandits?
Within the last 24 hours alone, terrorists brazenly attacked two communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area, abducting traditional rulers—including the Baale of Oloruntele and the monarch of Olayinka—and they whisked them into the forest. This is the grim reality on Governor Abdulrahman’s watch.
Records indicate that over 400 lives have been lost to insecurity in Kwara between 2025 and now’ he said.
The party also called the projects initiated and executed by the Governor Abdulrazaq administration ‘cosmetic’.
‘On infrastructure, the much-publicized projects of the Abdulrahaman administration are largely cosmetic and concentrated along a single stretch of one street, the Ahmadu Bello Way, earning the Governor the fitting nickname: ‘One Street Governor’.
We reiterate that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has lost relevance and goodwill, not only among the people of Kwara State but even within his own party, where he has become a subject of ridicule. This reality was recently underscored by an APC chieftain Hon. Olosasa, who declared during a radio programme that the governor can no longer win even a councillorship election in Kwara State. That statement alone is a damning verdict’ the statement added.
The party also noted that tather than ‘his obsession with bringing Saraki down and making the PDP the scapegoat for his failures’, the governor will do well to ‘engage in honest self-assessment and corrective action’.
‘Kwarans are now more politically conscious than ever. They are disappointed, aggrieved, and fully aware of the direction or lack thereof—under the current administration. No amount of propaganda against Dr. Saraki or the poor laundering of the governor’s image can alter the inevitable verdict that awaits Abdulrahman in 2027’ the party said-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
