By Adamu Abdullahi
The Kwara State government has reacted to a viral video showing Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq getting booed at a public event.
As seen in the video that went viral, Gov Abdulrazq was almost mobbed but security operatives quickly surrounded him and took him out of the event.
This is as the crowd continued to shout ‘ole’ in Yoruba language, which simply means ‘thief’. Some others also shouted ‘Sai Bukky’, which is a popular political chant in the North Central state, used in praising the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was once a governor in the state.
However, the state government has disclosed that the video is not a recent one, clarifying that the incident happened in 2018 when Gov. Abdulrazaq was still a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The reaction which was contained in a statement on signed by the Special Adviser, Political Communication to the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Bashir Adigun said opposition members only tried to bring it back and pass it off as a recent happening.
He explained further that the event which was organized by the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) at the Emir of Ilorin’s Palace, held on 26th December 2018.
Adigun, therefore, urged members of the public to ignore the video which is the handiwork of political opponents.
The statement reads in part: “Yesterday afternoon, August 7, 2022, some opposition figures sought to trend a video in which thugs and supporters of former Senate President Bukola Saraki threw caution to the wind and disrupted an event held on 26th December 2018 by the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) at the Emir of Ilorin’s Palace.
“This video showed the Saraki crowd, known in those years for intimidating people, heckling the then governorship candidate of APC AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as he gave his remarks at the community event in the presence of the Emir and dignitaries from the Emirate.”
Abdulrazaq Didn’t Attend A Recent Event In Kwara Poly
The statement also debunked that the event took place on Sunday at the Kwara State Polytechnic as being passed off on some social media platforms.
It said: “Attached to the video (they tried to trend now) is a caption that the Governor was booed at Kwara State Polytechnic. It is false. No event took place in Kwara Polytechnic yesterday, August 7, 2022, to warrant the Governor being there.
“The video was taken in 2018 at the annual event organised by Ilorin Emirate’s apex sociocultural body, the IEDPU.
“The Governor who was a candidate then, attended the event as a special guest of his home community association.”
“Those who trended the video desperately meant to send the signal that an incumbent Governor was being booed. That probably misled the wrong audience.”
The statement ended by urging members of the public to “ignore the old video clip which is clearly one propaganda gone awry.”
