LG Polls: Group Chides Kwara Govt Over Attack On Saraki  * accuses Abdulrazaq of electoral fraud 

By Omowumi Omotosho

A political group, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vanguard has launched a scathing attack on the Kwara State Government over its handling of the just concluded council elections, branding it a failure of governance and accountability.

The group also accused the Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of presiding over a ” shameless electoral fraud “.

In a statement issued by the Director of Communications and Strategies for the PDP Vanguard, Sulaiman Onimago, the group specifically targeted the Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju, for labeling former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki as “compulsive and selfish.”

The group made it clear that: “Saraki is not the one that did not conduct election in five years, and is not responsible for the incompetence projected nationally by KWASIEC. However, nobody is shocked that the Commissioner who is almost non-relevant gained his voice when Saraki commended the good people of Kwara State for resisting the fraud perpetrated by the APC in the council election.”

The PDP Vanguard described the Commissioner’s statement as something expected of ” Hitler government, a Nazi kind of government that has no regard for universal values, laws, people, tradition and lacks the capacity to feel shame. If not, who boasts about an election that is perhaps the most digitally documented election in the history of the state? Even the government can watch their rejection by the people”.

The group also took aim at the logistical failures of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), accusing the government of violating and manipulating electoral laws to serve its interests.

“It is not the PDP that tried to frustrate the conduct of the election, it is the Government of Abdulrahman that violated and manipulated electoral laws, the action of PDP was in the interest of the people, whom the APC administration has condemned to a terrible fate and condition.

“In addition, the logistical issues and insufficient materials supplied by KWASIEC are not the fault of the PDP, the Commissioner’s statement is an unsuccessful attempt in shifting responsibility of their own technical failure, lack of capacity and incompetence to the opposition. For a Government that failed to conduct an election for five years, lacked accountability and struggled at the polls to be this bold is unprecedented. No wonder the Governor is considered a burden by Federal Government. KWSG possesses no original or complimentary idea in moving the State forward,” the statement read.

In a particularly strong rebuke, the PDP Vanguard accused Governor Abdulrazaq of financial misconduct and questioned the state’s development under his administration.

“Saraki possesses no record of owing salaries during his tenure as a Governor, rather he cleared outstanding salaries owed by his predecessor, and there are no record of thuggery in 2019 when the APC came into power as opposition. This amnesia by the Commissioner is worrisome, and for someone who can’t trust his memory, what can such an individual offer to the government?

“It is not Saraki that kept ₦17bn Kwara money in an unknown bank, and nor did he allocate allocate a whooping sum of ₦17bn to renovate an hotel while workers languish in poverty and suffering. Till this moment, there is no communication from the Committee that was constituted to review the State’s minimum wage. Saraki didn’t not build a bridge and refuse to open it as Governor. Therefore, the Government should strive to use the remaining years it has in power to make a difference, before its inevitable expulsion by Kwarans in 2027,” the PDP Vanguard stated.

The PDP Vanguard further accused Abdulrazaq of failing to implement President Tinubu’s ₦35,000 wage award and questioned the governor’s commitment to public welfare, calling it “ironic” given the reported hoarding of federal palliatives meant to ease economic pressure on citizens.

“Did Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq pay the ₦35,000 wage award President Tinubu advocated for and how consistent was the meager ₦10,000 he was paying workers? Yet, the KWSG claims it is committed to the President’s efforts on public welfare, what an irony! The palliatives FG rolled out to reduce the pressure of their policies were hoarded by the Government. Perhaps public welfare has another meaning to the APC government,” the association stated

In addition to these criticisms, the group condemned what they called Abdulrazaq’s “solo government,” asserting that the governor had rendered state institutions ineffective and reduced his cabinet members, including the Commissioner for Communications, to mere seat-warmers.

“Saraki did not kill government institutions and run a solo-government like Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is doing. We ask if the Un-honourable Commissioner can lift a finger in his Ministry without the nod of the Governor, and how often can he describe his contribution or engagement in State Executive Council, how many has she attended? For a Commissioner who is merely a seat warmer and almost out of existence due to the ineffectiveness of his Office, she should communicate their policies and actions to Kwarans instead of attacking like a dog with rabies,” the association further stated.

The PDP Vanguard concluded its statement by reiterating its claim that the Abdulrazaq-led administration had openly embraced electoral fraud and was proud of its non-performance.

“The State Government is proud of non-performance, it is also shameless and proud of the electoral fraud it committed against the people of Kwara State,” the statement concluded, setting the stage for continued political contention as the state gears up for future elections.