PDP Urges Kwarans to Shun ‘Greek Gifts’ from Kwara Government Ahead of Council Elections
By Omowumi Omotosho
The Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted the citizens of Kwara State to remain cautious and not be deceived by what it refers to as “Greek gifts” from the State Government, as local government elections approach on September 21, 2024.
In a statement signed by its public relations officer, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party cautioned Kwarans, highlighting the reintroduction of the Subsidized Transport Palliative Programme by the State Government.
The party condemned this move, describing it as a ploy to win votes. The PDP also pointed to the government’s directive to compile a list of 150 individuals from each of the 193 wards of the state for a purported N50,000 empowerment scheme, expected to cost about N700 million.
“We believe that these moves, and more that will still be unveiled by the state government, are desperate attempts by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to deceive people and buy their conscience after six years of untold hardship and bad governance witnessed under his administration,” the PDP declared.
Furthermore, the party, in its statement, voiced significant concerns regarding Governor Abdulrazaq’s plans.
“Not only is Governor Abdulrazaq determined to empty the Kwara treasury to secure votes for his handpicked APC candidates, but he is also contemplating borrowing an additional N20 billion loan to finance the local government elections in favour of his party and his handpicked candidates,” the statement read.
The PDP, therefore, urged the citizens of Kwara to be discerning. “We call on Kwarans not to be swayed by the deceptive tactics and Greek gifts from the State government that are designed to subject them to further poverty and insecurity,” the statement further read.
The party highlighted the recent Supreme Court decision granting financial autonomy to local governments to create premises for its argument. The party argued that “allowing those candidates to win would mean the continuation of the Transition Implementation Committees (TICs) imposed by the governor since 2019, who have crippled the administration of the 16 local government areas and plundered its resources without mercy.
The Kwara PDP, therefore, called for unity and resilience. “We all must reject these Greek gifts and work together for a brighter future for our local government areas. Collect whatever Greek gifts are offered to you by the government, but uphold your conscience and reject candidates handpicked by Governor Abdulrazaq. Now more than ever, we must remain united and steadfast in our commitment to bring about a new era of local government administration that will genuinely serve the people and bring insecurity to a halt.” the statement concluded.
