
By Taiwo Adeyemi
The Kwara State opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP has vowed to demolish fences erected across some markets in the Ilorin metropolis by the administration of Governor Abudulraman Abdulrasaq.
The State Party’s Chairman, Rt. Honourable Babatunde Muhammed made the remarks while featuring on Diamond FM, Ilorin, Kwara State popular Yoruba Language News and Current Affairs programme “E ba wa dasi” on Thursday, 16th January, 2025.
Earlier, the party in a statement issued has condemned the action of the Governor Abdulrasaq APC-led administration erection of fences in some markets across Ilorin metropolis.
Muhammed maintained that the party will demolish the fences if elected in 2027 to salvage economic sabotage caused by the present Kwara State Government.
He said “erection of the fences across some markets in the state is an economic sabotage carried out by Governor Abdulrasaq, I have traveled across all the state capitals in Nigeria, I have never seen a government erecting a 12ft fence against traders”.
“We have it on record that some of the traders obtained loan to stock their shops but if this is not addressed before the end of this year, some of them won’t be able to pay back, this could lead to lost of business and insecurity in the state”
He furthered that PDP administration in the state will demolish those fences if elected in 2027.
“Kwarans are peace loving people and our party loves peace, the first thing our party will do if elected in 2027 is to demolish those fences, this administration should have used transparent objects instead of using blocks, in case of emergency, there is no escape route in those markets”.
Babatunde challenged the members of the State House of Assembly to intervene by calling the Governor to order.
“I have been a member of the State House of Assembly before, I rose from the Chief Whip, to Deputy Speaker and to Speaker of the House, during our time, this kind of issue happened in Tegbesun, the house intervened and settled the matter”.
He further alleged that the administration of Governor Abdulrasaq lacks financial transparency.
“During the administration of Dr Abdulfatai Ahmed, the Governor and the Commissioner for Finance will come out monthly to tell Kwarans amount generated each month but this administration since 2019 has failed to tell people the amount it generates each month”.
“With huge amount of federal allocation the state is getting, most of the projects this administration is doing are local government projects, celebrating construction of 1km road project, during my time in the local government, each councillor will tell the local government what his people want”.
The PDP State Chairman emphasized that the party has no room for candidates imposition ahead of the 2027 election.
“There is nothing like godfatherism in the PDP, what our leader, the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has been doing is consensus arrangement to foster party unity and cohesion but the oppositions are calling it imposition of candidates”.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell our members in the State, both existing and those that will join us that they are free to contest for all elective offices, the party delegates will determine our candidates”.