Date: 2019-06-02

Man who instituted court case against Kwara State governor, Case Against Kwara Governor

Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, over the authenticity of his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate has said that he was not influenced by money to discontinue the case.

The man, Adekunle Oluwafemi Abraham, had said, in a notice of discontinuance of the suit No. KWS/73/2019 dated May 21, 2019, and filed May 22, 2019, that he "hereby wholly discontinues" the case against the defendant, while he did not state any reason for the sudden decision to terminate the case.

Speaking exclusively with the Tribune Online in Ilorin at the weekend, Abraham said that he discontinued the case in order not to obstruct governance in the state.

"God is my witness. Nobody gave me anything monetarily, materially before God and man. Anybody with a contrary claim can come out to say it. I was not even promised appointment. I did what I did on all honesty," he said.

Abraham, who said he still remained a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, added that there were pressures from friends and relations to drop the case in court, "and for one not to be too rigid, I had to oblige people's request knowing fully well that we're in the era of change. We're for development and there's a realisation that there should not be an obstruction in the governance of the state."

Abraham, who hailed from Apado community in the Ilorin East local government area also said that his relationship with the party is still cordial, adding that he had been a founding member of the PDP as far back as 1998.

Also speaking, chairman of Apado Development Association (ADA), Oluwafemi Agbabiaka, said that the community was not pressurised the on the matter.

Agbabiaka, who spoke through the secretary and the PRO of the association, Deacons Alafiatayo James and Bolaji Kolawole, respectively, said that no politician reached out to the community on the certificate issue against Governor Abdulrazaq.

"Our stand was just to tell people that Abraham did not speak for the community in his allegation against the governor on the certificate issue and that the community was not involved in the whole issue.

"We didn't disown him as a member of Apado community. We are not part of the people who may have done that. He's a true son of Apado community and he's welcome here anytime," the community stated.

In its advice to the new Kwara State government, the community called on the new government to create job opportunities for unemployed graduates.

"Also government should encourage people to go back to the farm because if anything should happen to our oil, or if the issue of invented solar-powered cars could gain global acceptance, what would be the hope of this country? If people go back to the farm, it would boost the economy of this state.

"Moreover, the new government should invest in manufacturing. We only consume in the state and that's why the economy is down. The conducive environment should be created for investors to come into the state to invest in manufacturing and thereby create job opportunities," he said.

The people, who pledged their loyalty to the new government highlighted challenges confronting the community.

"One of them is a bad road. There are two roads leading into the town. From Irepodun to Apado and Jebba road to Apado community. They are bad. We park our cars on these roads leading to Apado whenever we want to come visiting our community. We want the new government to do that for us. The bad nature of the roads leading into the community had denied the area socioeconomic growth and development as the movement of farm produce and the sick to town had been a harrowing experience.

"We are also marginalised on political appointment. No permanent secretary, commissioner or special assistants, not even education secretary. The appointment we've ever had was vice chairman of our local government, Ilorin South. We want the new government to help us with this," the community stated.