Alleged defamation: Court remands Kwara PDP’s spokesperson

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has vehemently condemned the remand of its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, by the Kwara State High Court. The party views this legal action as a politically motivated attempt by the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration to intimidate opposition figures and stifle criticism.

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a deliberate attempt by the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration to intimidate opposition voices and silence critics of government failures in the state.

According to the PDP, the prosecution of Adewara is a deliberate tactic to silence dissenting voices and distract from the government's perceived failures in governance. The party's statement, issued by Assistant State Publicity Secretary Bashir Ashura, accused the administration of misallocating state resources towards harassing citizens instead of tackling pressing issues like insecurity and the state's socio-economic challenges.

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It is deeply unfortunate that a government which has failed woefully in addressing the worsening insecurity across Kwara State is now channelling state resources toward the harassment and intimidation of citizens who dare to speak against its shortcomings.

This incident highlights a growing tension between the ruling party and the opposition in Kwara State. The PDP argues that Governor AbdulRazaq's administration is resorting to "instruments of government to victimise opposition members and suppress dissenting voices" due to declining popularity. They maintain that democracy thrives on freedom of expression, not political persecution, and called for an immediate halt to such intimidation.

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It is condemnable and unacceptable that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whose popularity continues to decline across the state due to his administration’s inability to deliver good governance, has resorted to using the instruments of government to victimise opposition members and suppress dissenting voices.

The PDP further questioned the state government's priorities, pointing out that while communities grapple with escalating insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and decaying infrastructure, the administration appears more focused on targeting critics. This narrative frames the legal action against Adewara not as a matter of defamation, but as a broader struggle for democratic space and accountability in Kwara State.

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The Kwara PDP therefore calls on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to immediately stop the intimidation of opposition and instead come before the people of Kwara to explain why insecurity has continued to escalate under his watch despite huge allocations and public resources available to his administration.