Tensions escalated in the Kwara State capital on Tuesday as hundreds of residents staged a mass protest over the ongoing political feud between Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha.
The demonstrators, comprising youths, women, and traditional stakeholders from across Ilorin Emirate took to major roads in the city, calling for an immediate end to the growing political hostilities which they say are hampering vital development projects in the state.
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with messages such as “Enough of Political Witch-hunt,” “Don’t Sabotage Federal Projects,” “Ilorin Deserves Better,” and “Turaki is Working, Let Him Be,” the protesters accused the state government of deliberately obstructing key constituency projects facilitated by Senator Mustapha.
Speaking to journalists during the demonstration, a community leader from Ilorin East, Alhaji Mumini Alaya, described the situation as “an injustice to the people,” stating that residents were being punished for political disagreements between two leaders who should be collaborating.
“This is not about politics anymore. This is about our health, our roads, our children’s future. Senator Mustapha has attracted meaningful projects to our communities, and now they are being blocked for petty reasons. Enough is enough,”Alaya said.
At the heart of the crisis is the abrupt stoppage of a federal government-funded hospital renovation project in Ilorin East Local Government Area, an initiative championed by Senator Mustapha to improve healthcare access for thousands of residents in rural and peri-urban communities.
According to locals, the project was halted following an order by the council chairman, Lukman Agbelere, a known ally of Governor AbdulRazaq. The council boss sparked outrage after a video surfaced online in which he was seen addressing a crowd, declaring that the hospital renovation could not continue because Senator Mustapha was “an enemy of the Governor.”
The viral footage has since drawn widespread condemnation across Kwara Central, especially in Gambari Ward I, where the hospital serves as a critical lifeline for low-income families.
A youth leader from the ward, Rukayat Jimoh, said the chairman’s comments were “reckless, divisive, and completely out of line.”
“People are sick, mothers are dying in childbirth, and the only facility we rely on has been left in ruins. And someone dares to say development should stop because of political rivalry? It’s unacceptable,” she told our correspondent.
Observers say the rift between Governor AbdulRazaq and Senator Mustapha, both members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has widened in recent months amid jostling for political control ahead of the 2027 elections.
While the Governor has remained silent on the matter, aides of Senator Mustapha have repeatedly accused the state administration of using local government structures to sabotage federally funded interventions associated with the Senator.
“This is a test of leadership for the APC,” said Dr. Razaq Afolabi, a political analyst. “They must decide whether internal conflict will derail progress in Kwara, or whether they can put the people first.”
