PDP, APC Clash Over Kwara’s Rising Revenue and Spending Priorities

A heated war of words erupted on Wednesday between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State over the management of the state’s growing revenue inflows in the last two years. Both parties traded accusations of misinforming the public about how the funds were being utilised.

The opposition PDP accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration of squandering what it called “record-breaking allocations” from the Federation Account and internally generated revenue. The party argued that despite the significant rise in finances, the living conditions of ordinary residents had not improved.

Speaking with The PUNCH, PDP Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, described the situation as “utterly disappointing,” alleging that the government had failed to convert the increased revenue into meaningful development.

“Kwara people are not feeling the impact of these huge allocations and IGR. The governor is running the state like a Bet9ja shop where he alone decides everything,” Adewara claimed.

He further alleged that instead of using the funds to improve infrastructure and welfare, the state had witnessed rising poverty, decaying public facilities, and a demoralised civil service. He also compared Kwara to Imo State, which, according to him, “pays a N104,000 minimum wage despite earning less,” while Kwara still pays N73,000 to Level 8 civil servants.

Adewara accused the government of engaging in “lavish and opaque spending,” alleging that over ₦2 billion was spent between January and September 2023 on the governor’s travels and fuel for convoys, with another ₦1 billion reportedly spent in early 2024 on trips and recharge cards.

He criticised ongoing capital projects, claiming they were inflated and wasteful. “The Kwara Hotel renovation now costs ₦30 billion, even though local contractors earlier bid less than ₦5 billion. The ₦1.8 billion garment factory is closed — another ₦2 billion wasted. These are white elephant projects used to siphon public funds,” he alleged.

However, the state government swiftly dismissed the PDP’s accusations, describing them as “false, baseless, and politically motivated.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Communication, Abdullateef Ibrahim, said the opposition’s claims were aimed at discrediting a performing government.

“Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has shown transparency, prudence, and people-focused leadership. The people of Kwara have not had it this good,” he stated.

Ibrahim noted that the governor had implemented the minimum wage twice — a feat he said the PDP administration failed to achieve — while also clearing inherited salary and pension arrears.

He listed several ongoing and completed infrastructure projects, including roads in Ilemona–Ojoku, Omu-Aran township, and Alabe–Oreke, as well as reforms in the education sector such as the removal of PTA levies in public primary schools and the approval of 2025 promotion examinations for TESCOM staff.

“The PDP’s era was defined by waste and corruption. Governor AbdulRazaq has brought focus, discipline, and progress. The opposition should take notes from a government that is delivering real results,” Ibrahim added.