2027: APC, PDP trade accusations over disruption of Kwara empowerment event

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

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The programme, held on Saturday at Agaka’s family residence in Ilorin, was organised for women, youths and widows, with cash support reportedly distributed to 200 beneficiaries.

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The PUNCH gathered that trouble reportedly started when a group of persons alleged to be PDP supporters arrived at the venue and began chanting and verbally confronting Agaka and some APC supporters.

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A video from the event showed some individuals chanting “ole,” while another group responded with “Sai Kayi,” as security personnel moved in to prevent the situation from escalating.

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

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

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Abdullateef said Agaka had committed no offence by organising an empowerment programme and mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other APC candidates.

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“Are we just having different politicians from one house? What is the crime in that?” the governor’s aide asked.

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He described the incident as “a reintroduction of thuggery and hooliganism into our political system by Saraki and his followers who superintend a lawless society between 2003–2019.”

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Abdullateef argued that the AbdulRazaq administration had eliminated such practices from the state, saying residents were now free to support political parties of their choice without harassment or intimidation.

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He urged residents to condemn what he described as “anti-democratic behaviour” and reject the PDP in the 2027 elections, arguing that doing so would be in the state’s interest.

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The PDP, however, rejected the allegations and accused the APC-led administration of attempting to portray politically conscious residents as thugs because they rejected the empowerment programme.

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Responding to enquiries from PUNCH Online on Monday in a telephone conversation, the Kwara PDP Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, described Abdullateef’s comments as evidence of the alleged frustration within the AbdulRazaq administration.

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

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“The statement from Latif reveals a clear sign of the extreme frustration now gripping Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his juvenile cabinet,” the PDP said.

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The opposition party said the incident expressed residents’ dissatisfaction with the government, not an act of political thuggery.

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“The people who confronted the government team in Agaka were not thugs. They were concerned residents who have lived with the consequences of Ramoni’s failures in their community and have now found their voices,” the PDP stated.

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

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It said, “They are simply asking why a government that has neglected them for seven years suddenly remembers them a few months to another election with women leader Greek gifts.”

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The PDP further challenged the APC woman leader over what it described as a late attempt to introduce a “Dibo ko sebe” style of politics into Agaka.

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The party maintained that residents had the right to reject what it called politically calculated gestures and demand accountability from those in government.

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“Agaka people are not thugs. They are citizens. They have a right to reject deception, a right to demand accountability, and a right to make it clear that seven years of failure cannot be erased with last-minute woman leader Greek gifts,” the PDP said.

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It also demanded an apology from Governor AbdulRazaq to the people of Agaka over the comments attributed to his aide.

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The incident comes as political activities intensify in Kwara ahead of the 2027 elections, with the APC and PDP already positioning themselves for a keen contest across the state.

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Security personnel at the venue reportedly prevented the confrontation from degenerating into violence, while the empowerment programme continued.

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