The Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State has slammed the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the state, further drawing the battle line with a former Nigerian ambassador to Japan, Prof. Gana Yisa.
The PDP, while launching its attack, took a cue from a recent statement credited to Yisa.
The opposition party in Kwara State described the ex-diplomat’s recent comments in a national newspaper as “false, laughable and part of a desperate plot to weaken the opposition ahead of 2027.”
In a statement on Sunday signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the PDP dismissed Yisa’s claim that the party was banking on a “deal” with President Bola Tinubu to reclaim power in the state.
As a result, the party declared through Adewara that, “The Kwara PDP did not rely on President Tinubu or any handshake from Abuja to demonstrate the strength we showed in the last local government elections.”
It noted further, “Even Gana himself admitted that PDP overwhelmingly won before the ruling APC subverted the process.”
The opposition party also faulted Yisa’s assertion that it failed to seek redress after the disputed council polls, insisting that candidates in Patigi, Offa, Ilorin South, Irepodun and several other LGAs had approached the tribunals to challenge what it called “fraudulent results” declared by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission.
The PDP further accused the ex-envoy of abandoning his home base while relying on others to shoulder the financial burden of litigations.
“It is shameful that the so-called PDP big man could not even pay the N25,000 nomination fee for a councillorship aspirant in his local government until Dr. Bukola Saraki intervened. Must the financial burden of Kwara PDP always fall on Saraki?” the statement queried.
The opposition party alleged that Prof. Yisa was now in “clandestine collaboration” with Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to undermine the PDP.
“His latest interview is nothing but part of his contractual obligations designed to smear the PDP, divide the opposition, and give the APC a soft landing ahead of 2027,” it added.
While insisting that Kwarans are already disillusioned with the APC government due to what it called worsening poverty, insecurity and hardship, the PDP declared that only its platform had the structure and sincerity to “rescue the state from the clutch of clueless leaders.”
“Prof. Yisa may continue trading the ADC platform as a bargaining chip, but Kwarans know only PDP has the capacity and spread to deliver them,” the statement concluded.
But responding, Ibraheem Abdullateef Akolu, Senior Special Assistant on Communication to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the opposition was “living in denial.”
According to him, Kwara has “risen from PDP ruins to progress” under the AbdulRazaq administration, boasting top performance in basic education, healthcare services in North Central, and ranking among the seven least-dependent states on federal allocation.
“For the first time in a long time, the people are happy to experience the impact of good governance in their communities,” Akolu said.
He maintained that the governor’s record in infrastructure, education, health, economy, and social investment had endeared him to citizens, adding that it was no mistake Kwarans had rejected the PDP “thrice consecutively” at the polls.
“The APC saved Kwarans from the hands of PDP-led government that was popular for corruption, wanton sales of public properties, and poor workers’ welfare. This explains why every politician of repute has been joining the APC to support the governor in delivering the dividends of democracy,” he added.
Akolu further described the PDP as “a sinking ship clutching to straws,” arguing that the people would not miss it if it vanished from the state’s political map.
“It is clear as daylight that Kwarans will prefer to side with the APC so as to sustain the legacy of impact being left by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq,” the Governor’s aide declared.
