2027: APC, PDP TRADE BLAME OVER DISRUPTION OF KWARA EMPOWERMENT EVENT

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State have exchanged accusations following the disruption of an empowerment programme organised by the Kwara Central APC Women Leader, Tawakalitu Agaka, popularly known as Hajia Tawa.

The programme, held on Saturday at Agaka’s family residence in Ilorin, was targeted at women, youths and widows, with cash assistance reportedly given to 200 beneficiaries.

The media gathered that trouble began when some individuals suspected to be PDP supporters arrived at the venue and allegedly started chanting and verbally confronting Agaka and other APC supporters.

A video from the event showed some people chanting “ole,” while another group responded with “Sai Kayi,” as security operatives intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.

The development has since sparked a war of words between the two major political parties in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Reacting on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, accused supporters of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and PDP governorship candidate Bolakale Kawu of attempting to revive political thuggery in the state.

Abdullateef said Agaka had done nothing wrong by organising the empowerment programme and mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other APC candidates.

He questioned the basis for opposing the programme, asking, “What is the crime in that?”

The governor’s aide described the incident as an alleged attempt by Saraki and his supporters to reintroduce thuggery and hooliganism into the state’s political space.

He maintained that the AbdulRazaq administration had eliminated such practices and created an environment where residents could freely support political parties of their choice without intimidation.

Abdullateef urged residents to condemn what he described as anti-democratic conduct and reject the PDP in the 2027 elections.

The PDP, however, dismissed the allegations, accusing the APC-led government of labelling politically conscious residents as thugs simply because they opposed the empowerment programme.

Speaking with the press Online by telephone on Monday, the Kwara PDP Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, described Abdullateef’s remarks as evidence of what he called frustration within the AbdulRazaq administration.

The opposition party said it was unacceptable for a government official to describe residents as “thugs and hooligans” for protesting against an empowerment programme.

According to the PDP, those who confronted the government team were concerned residents expressing dissatisfaction with the administration’s performance rather than political thugs.

The party also questioned the timing of the programme, alleging that the community had been neglected for years before the APC introduced what it described as politically motivated assistance ahead of the 2027 elections.

The PDP further criticised what it called a late attempt to introduce “Dibo ko sebe”-style politics into Agaka, insisting that residents had the right to reject politically motivated gestures and demand accountability from those in government.

The opposition party called on Governor AbdulRazaq to apologise to the people of Agaka over the comments attributed to his aide.

Meanwhile, security personnel at the venue reportedly prevented the confrontation from escalating into violence, allowing the empowerment programme to continue.

The incident comes amid increasing political activities in Kwara as the APC and PDP intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.