Ilorin Emirate risks losing a N500 million federal pavilion project as the 2024 fiscal year's deadline in June 2025 approaches, Just Event Online TV has reported.

The stalled project, secured through the 2024 Appropriation Act by Senator Saliu Mustapha, has been delayed due to a political impasse between Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the senator, both members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Tuesday, Alhaji Ibrahim Zubair Dan Maigoro, the governor's Senior Special Assistant on Religious Matters (Islamic Affairs), addressed the dispute during a radio interview. The following day, Senator Mustapha's aide, Barrister Abdulkareem Alabi, also spoke on air to clarify the project's status and the senator's involvement.

Barrister Alabi revealed that the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, personally submitted the pavilion's architectural plans to the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) for approval on 3 March 2025.

Over 60 days later, there has reportedly been no official response from the state government-raising concerns about a deliberate attempt to derail the initiative.

Sources close to the project warn that if the stalemate continues, the funds could be forfeited in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. Section 29(1) of the Act mandates that all unspent budget allocations must revert to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by the end of the fiscal year, while Section 38(a) bars the rollover of unused capital funds.

Originally intended as a permanent venue for the annual Ilorin Durbar festival to eliminate recurring tent rental costs, the pavilion's construction has yet to commence amid disputes over documentation and state-level approvals.

All efforts to obtain reaction from KW-GIS and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.