The Kwara State government, on Saturday, described the promoters of a new political movement in the State – Kwara Redemption Movement (KRM) – as failed and frustrated politicians.
The government, in a statement signed by the special adviser on Media to the state governor, Alh. Bashiru Adigun, took a swipe at the promoters of KRM for their futile attempt to mislead the people of the state.
A former leader of ‘Otoge’ Movement, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, had last Saturday unveiled KRM in Ilorin, the state capital.
Oyedepo had said that the mission of the new political movement was to sensitise the people on the need to elect the ‘right people’ to political offices come 2027 general election in the state.
He said the initiators of KRM, who were part of the Otoge Movement that ousted the Saraki dynasty from power in 2019, were not impressed by the leadership style of incumbent Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
But, the state government in a statement said: “We read the story of the news conference by a group called Kwara Redemption Movement and wish to set the record straight and expose the lies by Chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, the spokesman of the group which is ignominiously now known as the “Kwara Redundant Movement”. Not only the old generation but even the G Z generation have read about them and their stock in trade as failed politicians who engage in Pull him Down Syndrome (PDS) because of their frustration .
“The contradictions of the group stemmed from its claim to be non-partisan and at the same time claiming that its members are drawn from different political parties; taking sole ownership of the 2019 Peoples Revolution known as O to Ge which swept away the failed Saraki Political Dynasty , replaced by the current Republican Kwara political space under the inspiring leadership of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq. O to Ge is a revolution by the people of Kwara and not by any individual or group of people.
“The people showed their love, support and endorsement for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq through the 2019, 2023 General elections and the just concluded local government elections in all of which they overwhelmingly voted for the administration in 2019,2023 General elections and recently the 2024 local government election.
“We wish to state that Akogun Oyedepo and his Ilk have travelled this path before and the outcome of this Gulliver politics is well-known to the people of Kwara. The people of Kwara should be aware that the gang up is driven by their failure and frustration not to have pocketed Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and prevent him from focusing on providing dividends of democracy and positive impact on the people of Kwara State.
“The same group misled some of its members to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of the 2023 general elections with incalculable negative consequences to those members.
“Akogun, their leader abandoned them in the SDP to reaffirm his membership of the All Progressive Congress and pledged his loyalty to Governor AbdulRazaq. How many times must Akogun deceive the gullible in the public space ,claiming to have parted ways with the Governor only to find him singing praises of the same Governor as attested to by circulating video clips in the public space?
“Many Kwarans may not be aware of the grouse of Akogun and his fellow travellers. They are certainly annoyed because of the Governor’s unbending principle against using the people’s wealth for personal aggrandizement as practiced by the displaced dynasty .
They are dissatisfied with Kwara Social Investment Programme, empowering the poor and the vulnerable in the state instead of them cornering the people ‘s wealth to themselves.
“The so-called movement is frustrated because Governor AbdulRazaq has excelled beyond reasonable doubt in all sectors; education, health, poverty alleviation, infrastructural renewal, security, food production , prompt payment of salaries, pensions and gratuity for workers at both the state and local government levels and the pensioners unlike the dehumanizing experience of the PDP era.
“The governor has continued to win landslide by the overwhelming votes of the people of the state against their own conspiracy with their disgraceful paid masters. Kwarans at home and abroad can see the transformation of Kwara State in all sectors. They are frustrated because Nigerians everywhere now know they are spent political force with no electoral value.
“Akogun and his colleagues are day dreamers and should be educated that , the people of Kwara State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and God cannot be deceived about Kwara and unprecedented achievements and infrastructural transformation under the dynamic leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the past five and half years and greater prospect for Kwara unlimited prosperity under continuity of AbdulRazaq’s leadership far beyond 2027.
“Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has succeeded in his innovative, effective and inspiring policy direction of making Kwara and Kwarans Republican ; no more room for leadership by a few as practiced by the displaced dynasty and wasted 16 years of PDP ‘chop make I chop era’ to the detriment of the overwhelming majority and posterity of the State.
“Kwara youths home and abroad, women, workers, intellectuals and majority of enlightened citizens of Kwara State have taken over the transformed, progressive and digital – driven Republican Kwara State under the inspiring and exemplary leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the earlier the stereotyped Iyiola Akogun and his frustrated colleagues internalize the reality that it’s time they ‘hang’ their boots for politics for the forward looking and patriotic youths and women of Kwara State, the better.”
