PDP described the meeting, reportedly held under a mango tree in Omu-Aran, as “an insult to victims of insecurity in Babanla in Ifelodun as well as others in Edu, Patigi, and other security-threatened parts of the state.”
A statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, on Sunday, alleged that the meeting was a “stage-managed photo session” rather than a serious effort to tackle the state’s security situation.
It said that the governor’s action mocked the residents of Babanla, Gaa Ahileri, and other communities in the local government, recently been attacked by armed bandits.
He said, “Instead of visiting the Babanla community, the scene of the merciless attack, the governor chose to attend a shambolic gathering in Omu-Aran in another local government area, which his aides called a ‘Strategic Kwara South Security Meeting.’”
The Kwara PDP stressed that the governor’s so-called “strategic meeting” was nothing but a poorly stage-managed photo session that failed to address the escalating insecurity in Babanla, Gaamu Ahileri, and neighbouring communities in Ifelodun LG.
“How can Governor Abdulrahman be holding security meetings under a mango tree and in the absence of key stakeholders; chairmen of concerned local governments or their representatives were not in attendance; traditional leaders, religious leaders, and vigilante groups were not in attendance; what sort of strategic security meetings are held with just APC members and the Governor’s orderlies paraded as the security chief?” it sought.
“Such a serious discussion being held without these stakeholders casts doubt on whether the Governor understands the magnitude of the crisis,” the statement read.
PDP recalled that over 200 bandits on motorcycles invaded the area, killing residents, abducting others, and looting markets in broad daylight.
Citing instances of some council chairmen relocating to Ilorin for safety, PDP said: “Chairmen of volatile areas should relocate back home to share in the pain of their people.”
The party alleged that the state government was pressuring security agencies to issue statements downplaying the extent of insecurity in Kwara.
It warned the Nigerian Army and the police against allowing themselves to be used for what it described as “dangerous political propaganda.”
“Debunking obvious cases of insecurity is a form of institutional corruption that puts lives at risk,” it said, adding that the reality on the ground showed that criminals now operate freely in the state, even in broad daylight.
The party said that victims of the recent attacks deserved more than what it called a “deceptive photo parade.”
It, however, called on the Governor to visit the affected communities, engage directly with victims, and take tangible measures to improve security, rather than staging: “public relations stunts.”
