While Kwarans Are Being Kidnapped, APC Is Busy Counting Members-Adeniyi Ishola

Last Monday, Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, flagged off the e-registration and revalidation of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. At the event, the governor urged party officials and members to leverage the ‘achievements’ of his administration to attract new members into the party.

That statement by the governor is not only dishonest; it is offensive. It exposes the deep disconnect between the governor and the harsh realities confronting Kwarans. What achievements, exactly, was the governor referring to? What records does the APC intend to market to attract new members or even retain the loyalty of the existing ones? Certainly not security, which remains the most basic responsibility of any government.

For more than two years, large parts of Kwara North and Kwara South senatorial districts have been trapped in a cycle of relentless insecurity. Bandits and kidnappers have operated with unhindered freedom, turning once-peaceful communities into theatres of fear and sorrow. Kidnappings for ransom, armed attacks, and anxiety have become daily realities for vulnerable communities that appear abandoned to their fate.

Only two days ago, Daily Post published a disturbing report that highlighted the worsening security crisis confronting Kwara South. According to the report, bandits are currently holding more than 22 people captive across several communities in the region, demanding ransom payments totaling over ₦400 million, in addition to food and drinks.  A traditional ruler, the Oniwo of Afin, Oba Olanipekun, and his son are among those who are in captivity.

Across several communities in Kwara South, residents, including traditional rulers, have fled their homes and palaces as a result of safety fears, farmers have abandoned their farms, markets are deserted, roads have become unsafe, and remaining families live in constant dread. Hundreds of millions of Naira have been paid as ransom, while scores of residents have lost their lives. Yet, Governor Abdulrahman wants Kwarans to be inspired by his ‘achievements’ and rally behind the APC. No be juju be that?

With insecurity ravaging the state at this scale, would any rational resident feel motivated to identify with the ruling party? Certainly not. Rather than confront this crisis with urgency and sincerity, the APC appears more preoccupied with membership registers and political calculations.

Even more reckless is the timing of this exercise. At a time when kidnappers are prowling villages and highways, especially communities in Kwara South and Kwara North, the ruling party is asking people to go out to participate in the registration exercise, knowing full well that public gatherings expose citizens to greater risk. One is forced to ask: do Governor Abdulrazaq and the APC care about the safety of the people, or is political mobilization more important than human safety?

By the way, is it the same people whose mothers, wives, and daughters were beaten, harassed, and chased away by APC thugs for protesting against kidnapping and government failure that the APC wants to join their party? The same people who begged for protection and were answered with violence are now expected to queue and legitimize the very party that abandoned them and left their cries for security unanswered. This is not governance. It is political cruelty.

As far as Governor Abdulrazaq and the APC are concerned, governance can take the back seat. All they care about is the politics of 2027. This obsession explains why the State House of Assembly could brazenly suspend a member for failing to align with the governorship ambition of the Speaker. In today’s Kwara, political loyalty is enforced, dissent is punished, and democratic institutions are reduced to tools of intimidation.

A government that cannot protect lives has no business campaigning for membership. A party that brutalizes protesters has no moral standing to speak of inclusiveness. And an administration that prioritizes political arithmetic over human security deserves nothing but public condemnation.

Kwarans do not need APC membership cards. What they need is safety. They need accountability. They need development. None of which can thrive in an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. Above all, they need a leadership that understands that power is not an entitlement but a responsibility, one that must be exercised in the service of the people, not at their expense-Mr Adeniyi Ishola writes from Ilorin, Kwara State