KWARA PDP CONDEMNS ATTEMPT BY ABDULRAHMAN LED GOVERNMENT TO DRAG TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN TO PARTISAN POLITICS CALLS ON KWARA NORTHERNERS TO DEMAND DIVIDENDS OF DEMOCRACY

By Olayiwola Ibrahim // The Kwara State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently condemned the recent attempt by the Abdulrahman-led government and his All Progressives Congress APC to drag traditional institutions in the state, particularly royal fathers from the Northern part of Kwara, into petty partisan politics and rejected Abdulrahman attempts to use them as agents of his mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Our Party’s attention has been drawn to an emergency townhall meetings notification allegedly being sent secretly from Kwara Government House using the guise of Kwara North Traditional Rulers to all political actors from Kwara North, asking them to assemble at Patigi LG on 2nd of March to discuss issue of 2027 governorhip agenda.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Friday and signed by the Party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara Sholyments, the Party emphasized that traditional institutions, as custodians of the culture and traditions of the people, should remain completely insolated from partisan politics to maintain their dignity, honour, and ability to act as fathers to all.

The PDP condemned the gross abuse and disrespect of traditional institutions by the APC led government in the state and warned of the dire consequences such actions may have on grassroots security, and the exposure of the cultural heritage of the people to political controversies and insults.

We hereby call on our father and the Emir of Ilorin, HRH, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari who is the chairman, Traditional Council of Obas and Chiefs in the state to prevail on other royal fathers in ensuring the dignity and value of traditional rulers and protect their stools against infiltration by politicians with selfish agendas ahead of 2027.

It is disheartening that the meeting, which were said to have been convened at the instance of Kwara North Traditional rulers, deliberately exempted many critical Kwara North stakeholders who are non-APC members including the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Shuaib Yaman Abdullahi, a Kwara north Traditional title holder and others due to their political inclination.

This action alone explains the devilish partisan agenda of the meeting and the character of those who orchestrated it.

The Kwara PDP also noted how some Pro-APC Kwara North Traditional rulers were coerced in the last elections, using the instrument of government to frustrate PDP campaigns and community consultation and how the government forced them to reject their own son whom our Party fielded as gubernatorial candidate at the poll.

Our Party therefore appeals to the Traditional rulers in Kwara North to reject any clandestine attempts by the Abdulrahman-led government to play divisive politics that could alienate prominent Kwara Northerners and create rifts among stakeholders of the region in the name of 2027 elections.

We urge Kwara Northerners to reject attempts by the APC-led administration, which has neglected meaningful developmental projects in the region since 2019, to manipulate them against each other with false promises of zoning the gubernatorial ticket to the region while plundering the state’s resources into unproductive ventures.

We call on daughters and sons of Kwara North to unite with their leaders and traditional institutions to demand dividends of democracy from the Abdulrahman-led government instead of starting to use politics of 2027 to distract their attentions from the major needs of their people which is the economic and infrastructural face-lift of the region .

The PDP assures the people of Kwara North of continued partnership and support to ensure capital projects such as Ilesha Chikanda Road, Kwara state University, Shonga farm etc, which are all initiatives of the PDP are continued in the region if the people of Kwara north can look beyond propaganda and join hands with our Party that have the right policy and programmes capable of lifting the region to a cosmopolitan area.