The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State engaged in a heated political exchange on Wednesday over the management of the state's increasing revenue inflows over the past two years. Both parties have accused each other of deliberately misleading the public regarding the use and impact of these funds.

The opposition PDP specifically accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's administration of mismanaging what it termed "unprecedented allocations" received from the Federation Account and its internally generated revenue (IGR). The party alleged that despite this significant surge in finances, the living conditions and welfare of the state's residents have seen no improvement.

Speaking to The PUNCH on Wednesday, the Kwara PDP Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, stated that it was "utterly disappointing" that the government had failed to translate the increased revenue into tangible, widespread development.

Adewara launched a sharp attack on the Governor's administrative style: "Kwara people are not feeling the impact of the huge allocations and IGR. The governor is running the state like a Bet9ja shop where only him is the Perm and the Sec," he alleged.

Adewara alleged that instead of improved welfare and infrastructure, the state had witnessed "growing poverty, decaying public facilities, and a demoralised civil service."

He also compared Kwara's situation to that of Imo State, "which despite earning less, pays a N104,000 minimum wage," while Kwara still pays Grade Level 8 civil servants N73,000, "an amount not even up to the allowance of a corps member."

He further alleged that the government had been involved in "opaque spending" and "lavish expenditures" on the governor's comfort and cronies.

"Between January and September 2023, over N2bn of taxpayers' money went into the governor's travels and fuelling of convoys. In the first three months of this year alone, about N1bn was spent on recharge cards and trips," he claimed.

The PDP spokesman also faulted the handling of capital projects, saying many were "inflated and misplaced."

"For instance, N30bn is now being spent on the renovation of Kwara Hotel, a project local contractors had bidded for at less than N5bn. The N1.8bn garment factory has been shut down. That's another waste of N2bn. These white elephant projects are platforms for siphoning public funds," he said.

He added that aside from a few roads in Ilorin GRA, there was little evidence of grassroots development, alleging that many local government secretariats "have been taken over by rodents because nothing is happening there."

However, the state government swiftly dismissed the allegations as "false, baseless, and politically motivated."

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Communication, Abdullateef Ibrahim, said the PDP's claims were "a deliberate attempt to discredit a performing government."

"The people of Kwara State have not had it this good. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has shown transparency, prudence, and people-centered leadership," he said.

According to him, AbdulRazaq is the first governor in the state to implement the minimum wage twice, unlike the PDP administration that "could not pay N30,000, owed salaries, and left huge pension arrears that we have now cleared."

Ibrahim listed several ongoing and completed projects across the state, including roads in Ilemona-Ojoku, Omu-Aran township, and Alabe–Oreke.

He also highlighted reforms in the education sector, including the removal of PTA levies in public primary schools and the approval of 2025 promotion examinations for TESCOM staff.

"The governor scrapped PTA levies for pupils in public schools and approved promotion exams for teachers whose arrears from 2017 we have cleared," he said.

He maintained that the AbdulRazaq administration remains "focused, prudent, and result-oriented," contrasting it with what he described as the PDP's "era of waste and corruption."

"The people of Kwara are feeling the impact of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's performance. God sent him to rescue and reposition the state. The PDP should take a notebook and learn governance from the game changer," Ibrahim added.