KWASSRA Now Hijacked By Gov. AbdulRazaq To Punish Opposition, Rig 2027 Elections — Kwara PDP
..Demands Immediate Explanation From Govt
The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed serious concerns over the inclusion of political orientation and party affiliation questions in the form to be filled under the ongoing resident registration exercise being conducted by the Kwara State Government. The party said while it acknowledges the importance of creating a reliable and comprehensive database for planning, resource allocation, and security enhancement, it find it utterly ridiculous and unacceptable that such an exercise would delve into the political preferences of citizens and residents of the state.
It noted that it has strong reasons to believe that the exercise, initially designed to build a digital identity system for Kwara residents and link them to state social intervention programmes, has now been politically hijacked by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to profile residents based on their political affiliation.
In a statement issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party condemned what it described as political profiling a gross abuse of public trust, unconstitutional data capture, and deliberate marginalisation of residents who do not identify with the APC.
"It is both appalling and suspicious that a government exercise meant to capture basic demographic information is now probing residents about their political affiliations. This raises critical questions about the true intent of the data collection and casts a dark shadow on the integrity of the entire process.
We have also discovered another unfolding reality that KWASSRA is part of the Governor Abdulrazaq's grand strategy to rig the 2027 general elections. The exercise is being used to build a politically filtered database through which future public benefits, especially from KWASSIP, will be channeled exclusively to APC loyalists.
The Governor, having lost all goodwill and popular support across the state owing to his leadership failures, is now seeking to monetize 2027 elections as well as digitally mapping opposition members for future punishment.
"If truly the exercise, as stated by Governor Abdulrahman, was aimed at generating an accurate database to guide developmental plans, provide citizens with better access to social protection services, and enhance security across the state, what necessitated the inclusion of political questions in the registration form?
"Political party membership has absolutely no bearing on access to government services, resource allocation, or security preparedness. Including such questions in a state-run registration portal is not only intrusive and unnecessary, it is also potentially dangerous in a democracy. It reeks of desperation, intimidation, and an unholy agenda to profile citizens based on their political beliefs.
"What legitimate purpose does the Kwara State Government seek to achieve by collecting data on political party membership? How does a citizen’s political affiliation relate to planning or security preparedness? These are the questions agitating our minds and we call on the State government to immediately provide answers.
"We are afraid that what should be a legitimate civic exercise has been turned to a tool of political surveillance by the desperate Governor Abdulrahman. This is an assault on Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees freedom of association and protection from political victimisation.
"The Kwara PDP therefore, demands the immediate removal of all politically motivated questions from the resident registration portal. We also urge security agencies and other relevant national bodies to launch investigation into this matter so as to prevent misuse and abuse of citizens' sensitive data that have captured through the registration exercise.
"Our party has received multiple complaints from civil servants—particularly at the local government level and among SUBEB teachers—whose salaries have been delayed or unpaid since the commencement of the KWASRRA registration. There is a growing concern that most victims of this are largely members or perceived sympathizers of opposition parties in the state.
"We urge the Kwara State government to stop victimising Kwarans who have opposing political orientation. We also call on the media, civil society groups and patriotic Kwarans to demand accountability and reject any attempt to force them into an unholy association or allegiance to the APC. Kwara belongs to us all, irrespective of political affiliations."
Signed:
Olusegun Olusola Adewara,
State Publicity Secretary
Kwara PDP
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