As it is, can the average Kwarans be said to be better off today than they were seven years ago? These are things that should worry Governor AbdulRazaq, not investing time and resources in pursuing a vendetta against Saraki or any other person for that matter. He should concentrate on using the remaining one year of his administration to building blasting legacies. Politicisation of the Offa robbery gimmick is not one of such. It is not catching on.
By Emeka Alex Duru
The maxim among enlightened minds, is that elections are celebrations of democracy. This is not without reasons! Election seasons provide opportunities for the players to showcase themselves; for the electorate, the chance to assess the performances of those in power and judge the opponents seeking to take over. Such moments call for interplay of ideas, logic and agenda that leave the system and voters richer. However, in Nigeria, elections at whatever level, are wars of sorts. In place of robust debate, exhibition of achievements (if any) and engagement with the people, blackmail, propaganda and outright attacks on opponents, are resorted to. Thus, the fine principles or elections are lost.
Our politicians do not take prisoners, they rather go for a kill. It is a zero-sum game in which an opponent should not exist, let alone being heard. That is part of what is playing out in Kwara State between the governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his predecessor, Dr Bukola Saraki. For the record, Saraki, was Senate President between 2015 and 2019. Political differences between the two families date to the Second Republic. With the 2027 politics by the corner, the rivalry is being ignited. Incidentally, the 2018 Offa robbery case in the State, is being exhumed and sold to the public as the immediate object of disagreement, while the real issue – the battle for 2027 – is being carefully tucked at the background.
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Governor AbdulRazaq drew the first blood through recent publications in which the government made indications of prosecuting Saraki and his immediate successor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, over the robbery incident. Specifically, Kwara government has filed a 20-count charge against Saraki and Ahmed, over allegations of arming the robbers in the Offa bank heist. The charges were filed at the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, on April 9, 2026.
You will recall that the robbery which was bloody and gruesome, was carried out in four commercial banks in Offa on April 4, 2018, leading to the death of 33 people. The allegation by the state is that Saraki and Ahmed supplied arms to the robbers. But the erstwhile Senate President has vigorously denied the charge. For emphasis, Saraki, in a recent statement maintained that he had “nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter whatsoever,” insisting that the allegations were politically motivated. Citing legal opinions from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Saraki noted that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), in two advisories dated June 22 and August 23, 2018, found no evidence linking him to the crime.
From all indications, the Offa robbery case is not one that will die in a hurry; it may linger for the next year and possibly, beyond. If it turns out so, it may end up being the major legacy for which the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq administration in Kwara, will be remembered. That will certainly not be in the interest of the governor.
The 2025 state of states fiscal performance ranking by BudgIT, which listed Kwara among Nigeria’s Top 3 fiscal performers, and commensurate national recognition for disciplined financial management and development-focused spending, is one that the governor should build upon to enhance the wellbeing of the people, rather than the needless battle against his predecessors. As with other states in the country, despite the upward approval ratings by economic management outfits and international organisations, the average Kwaran is bearing the brunt of the harsh socio-economic conditions in the land. They need serious attention from the government. Now, because of the Offa robbery case and the agenda it is intended to serve, the government is buying space on the front page of some national newspapers at costs that can build a modern Primary Healthcare Centre or Primary School, that can make life better for the people.
The revival of the Offa robbery case at a time the state is under serious attack by bandits, insurgents and kidnappers, does not speak of the administration getting its priorities correctly. The primary function of the government remains the protection of the life and property of the citizens. The key issues that are presently keeping Kwara State on the front burners of media reports are the Offa robbery and killing, kidnapping and attacks on villages, communities and towns, particularly in the southern and northern senatorial districts of the state. Recent reports for instance, put the number of people so far murdered between January 2025 and March 2026 at over 400. In the Woro community of Kaiama Local Government Area alone, 176 people were murdered in one single attack. Many are still in the kidnappers’ den. Getting the hostages out of captivity and assuring the traumatized citizens of their safety, should rather bother the governor, than any other engagement.
The Offa robbery case is a wrong strategy for Governor Abdulrazaq. He is just playing into Saraki’s hands in the exercise. It is one encounter the state government may not win. While the governor and his administration are struggling to defend their actions and inactions over the insecurity, Saraki is not seeking any elective office and he is not occupying any public office. So, he has all the time and resources to also fight the battle. The allegation does not even sound convincing. As much as it may be difficult to trust a typical Nigerian politician, it will be more difficult to believe that Saraki as the Senate President at the time and Abdulfatai Ahmed would sponsor an armed robbery attack in their state. How much was taken from the banks in Offa that will justify the involvement of Saraki and Governor Ahmed in a bank robbery? Whoever that advised the governor to revive the case in an election year is either being disloyal, mischievous, or ignorant. It is good that the matter is before the courts. It is hoped that justice should be done to the parties involved.
This is not what the Kwara electorate voted for in chanting ‘Otoge’, (“enough is enough”), a slogan adopted by the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to campaign against the Saraki political establishment during the 2019 governorship election. Otoge should mean a new phase in the life of the people and more secured entity. Actualising Otoge demands a radical departure from what the promoters accused Saraki and his followers of. Seven years into the mantra, the citizens and residents of Kwara expect the President visiting the state to commission any project, if there is any worthy of presidential attention. In short, they expect a lifeline.
But as it is, can the Kwarans be said to be better off today than they were seven years ago? These are things that should worry Governor AbdulRazaq, not investing time and resources in pursuing a vendetta against Saraki or any other person for that matter. He should concentrate on using the remaining one year of his administration to building blasting legacies. Politicisation of the Offa robbery gimmick is not one of such. It is not catching on.
