Kwara State is presently in a precarious state with armed bandits, and kidnappers overrunning the state, says a former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Speaking at the state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, held at Arca Santa Arena, Ilorin on Saturday, Saraki, said “in the last 12 months, 70 people have been reportedly killed in Kwara North and South Senatorial Districts, while 50 people have sustained various forms of injuries from the assailants.”
He further observed that within the same period, about 42 people have been kidnapped, while over 25 communities have been sacked as residents abandoned their homes.
The former Senate President said Kwara State had become a one-town state as everybody in the Northern and Southern Senatorial districts now converge in Ilorin to escape becoming the next victim of the spate of insecurity.
According to him, “it has never been this bad in our state known as the State of Harmony.”
He frowned at the focus on accusing the opposition, “which has been alerting the Federal Government and security agencies of the danger that now lurks in our communities, of playing politics with security.”
“No responsible citizen or party will play politics with the danger to the lives and livelihood of people. But as responsible politicians and political platforms who want to genuinely serve our people, we will not keep quiet.
“We will continue to alert the national and international communities about the danger that daily confronts our people. We will continue to urge the people who can help to come to the rescue of Kwara people,” he declared.
The PDP leader described the spate of killings, kidnappings, and the collapse of the security system in Kwara State as unprecedented, adding that “we never witnessed anything of this sort since the creation of the state.”
“Kwarans, the PDP in this state is ready, with your support, to return the era of a secure Kwara State, to restore the state to a state of harmony,” he said.
He charged the party members to be prepared for the conduct of the party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections with maturity, patriotism, devotion, sense of sacrifice, give and take and love with which the ward, local and state congresses were conducted.
Saraki threw an open invitation to all former members of the party who left, largely as a result of personal issues or differences, to return to the fold.
He asserted that “they should realise that the task of returning our dear state to the point where it is once again secure and where lives and properties are safe is more important than individual ambitions or personal differences in our various constituencies.”
Congratulating the new state executives of the party, Saraki said: “as of today, it is clear to all that PDP is the clear alternative. In Kwara State, the clear choice of our people for making life secure, better, and fulfilling is the PDP.”
New members of the party’s state executive include, Adamu Bawa Issa, as Chairman, Mrs Wasilat Atinuke Macarthy, Deputy chairman, Abdullahi Abdulrahman Kayode, Secretary, Rev. CPS Fawenu, Treasurer, Umar Shero, Financial Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Samuel, Publicity Secretary, Barrister Monsurat Omotosho, Legal Adviser, Imam Musa Bashir, Auditor, Adio Friday Odunju, Youth Leader, Hajia Aminat Ishola, Woman Leader, and Olaitan Obalowu, Organizing Secretary.
Others are Ishiaka Tunde Owolabi, Senatorial Chairman, Kwara Central, Sir Bisi Fakayode, Senatorial Chairman, Kwara South, Uthman Mohammed, Senatorial Chairman, Kwara North, and 25 others elected into various posts in the state exco.
