Governor AbdulRazaq Resurrecting Offa Robbery Case For Cheap Political Gain — Kwara PDP 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, on Friday, accused the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of resurrecting the 2018 Offa robbery incident to score cheap political gains.

The party said that it was shocked by recent reports in some national dailies alleging a plot by the governor “to re-open and politicise the already concluded judicial process surrounding the tragic Offa robbery incident, with a calculated attempt to frame the leader of our party, His Excellency, Dr. Bukola Saraki.”

The party stated this at a news conference addressed by its state publicity secretary, Olusegun Adewara, on behalf of the State party chairman, Prince Issa Bawa.

But, in a swift reaction, the special adviser on Media to the State governor, Alh. Bashir Adigun, said the matter was already in court.

“All I will say is that Dr Saraki should go and say all he’s saying in the court. The case is already before the court,” Adigun said.

The PDP spokesman noted that the development was being published in the media even when Saraki had not even been properly served with any such court processes.

Adewara alleged that the governor’s current desperation was not unconnected with the massive resurgence of the PDP across the state.

“The unprecedented turnout of Kwarans at the recent post- convention rallies in Kwara Central and Kwara South has clearly debunked his long-standing propaganda that the PDP is dead. The reality today is that the PDP is not only alive but rapidly regaining the trust and confidence of the people, thereby exposing the governor’s political vulnerability,” Adewara said.

He also noted that the renewed campaign of calumny against Saraki came after the latter’s recent appearance on Channels Television, “where he courageously exposed the alarming rate of insecurity, killings, and the takeover of rural communities in Kwara North and Kwara South by criminal elements.

“It is, therefore, not surprising that the governor has resorted to resurrecting a painful national tragedy for cheap political gains. We make bold to say that this is dirty politics taken too far. It is

both insensitive and dangerous for Governor AbdulRazaq to trivialize a tragedy of such magnitude, an incident that left deep scars on the people of Offa, many of whom are still

grappling with the trauma and loss.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we remind the public that the Offa robbery case was thoroughly investigated by the Nigerian Police. Following these investigations, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, in two separate legal advisories dated June 22, 2018, and August 23, 2018, clearly stated that there was no evidence linking Dr. Bukola Saraki either directly or indirectly-to the incident

” On the strength of this clear legal position, suspects were prosecuted, convicted at the trial court, and the judgments were upheld at the appellate level. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.

“We, therefore, challenge Governor AbdulRazaq and his propaganda machinery to present these

complete legal records to the public, rather than selectively peddling misleading narratives aimed at deceiving unsuspecting citizens.

“We call on the good people of Offa, particularly the families directly affected by the robbery incident, to reject this shameful attempt to turn their painful memories into tools of political

propaganda. It is both unreasonable and illogical to associate a statesman of Dr. Saraki’s standing; a two-term governor and former Senate President with such a heinous crime.”