APC, PDP Trade Blame Over Alleged Attack in Agaka, Ilorin

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State have traded accusations over an alleged confrontation in Agaka, Ilorin, with both parties urging authorities to prevent the dispute from escalating into political violence ahead of the 2027 elections.

The APC in Kwara Central alleged that its chieftain, Alhaja Tawakalitu Agaka, was subjected to harassment and a violent attack after an empowerment programme in her hometown over the weekend, while the PDP dismissed the allegation and accused the ruling party of branding residents who rejected the programme as “thugs and hooligans.”

In a statement issued on Sunday, the APC Kwara Central chairman, Alhaji Memudu Turawa, condemned what he described as an “unprovoked violent attack” at Agaka, stressing that political differences should not expose citizens to harassment or intimidation.

“The PDP should be civil in its approach to issues. Citizens are at liberty to pursue their political aspirations in an atmosphere that is devoid of violence, harassment, or intimidation,” Turawa said.

He urged the police and traditional authorities to investigate the incident and identify those allegedly involved, warning that leaving political violence unchecked could trigger reprisals.

“We call on the security forces, especially the police, to identify those who attacked the house of and harassed Alhaja Tawakalitu Agaka. That is the only way to check political excesses and sustain peace and democracy,” he said.

The APC chairman also appealed to the PDP to focus on issues rather than confrontation, arguing that political parties should convince voters through their programmes and policies.

However, the PDP rejected the APC’s account, accusing the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration and its political agents of attempting to criminalise residents who rejected what it described as a politically motivated empowerment gesture.

The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, said the people who confronted the APC team were “neither PDP members nor thugs,” but residents who were dissatisfied with what they regarded as a last-minute intervention ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The truth is that the AbdulRazaq-led APC administration is becoming overwhelmed by the wave of rejection confronting it from one end of Kwara State to the other,” Adewara said.

He questioned the timing of the empowerment programme, particularly the reported N5,000 assistance, asking why similar interventions were not provided from 2023 until now.

“How can a government agent in his right senses then tag an entire community as thugs and hooligans simply because the people are conscious enough to reject a once-in-four-year Greek gift?” the PDP spokesman asked.

Adewara further accused the APC of attempting to exploit the incident politically, saying residents of Agaka were entitled to accept or reject political gestures without being insulted or intimidated.

The PDP urged Governor AbdulRazaq to caution his aides and political agents against what it called inflammatory statements capable of creating tension within communities.

It also demanded an apology to the people of Agaka and the Mogaji of the community over the alleged description of residents as “thugs and hooligans.”

The APC, meanwhile, maintained that neither it nor the government supports political violence, stressing that Alhaja Agaka’s status as a grassroots politician, mother, grandmother, wife and community leader should not make her a target of harassment.

The two parties’ conflicting accounts have heightened concerns over the conduct of political activities in Kwara ahead of the 2027 elections, with the APC calling for restraint and police action and the PDP demanding an end to what it described as provocative political rhetoric.

Both sides, however, agreed that political differences should not degenerate into violence, intimidation or actions capable of threatening peace in Agaka and other communities across the state.