Just In: Protest Hits Ilorin, Kwara State as Tensions Escalate, Photos Emerge
- Tensions escalated in the ancient city of Ilorin, in Kwara state, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, as hundreds of disgruntled residents staged a protest to express their disappointment
- The demonstration stemmed from the ongoing political feud between Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha
- The demonstrators, comprising youths, women, and traditional stakeholders from across Ilorin, took to major roads, calling for an immediate end to the growing political hostilities
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Legit.ng correspondent Atanda Omobolaji has over 3 years of experience covering metro.
Ilorin, Kwara state - The ongoing political feud between Kwara governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Senator Saliu Mustapha reached a boiling point on Wednesday, July 23, as dozens of angry residents poured into the streets of Ilorin in a protest that affected parts of the state capital.
The protesters, made up of men, women, youths, and community leaders from various parts of Gambari Community of Ilorin, accused the state government of deliberately sabotaging multi-million-naira federal constituency projects facilitated by Senator Mustapha due to political rivalry.
Source: Twitter
Protest in Kwara over gov-senator feud
Chanting slogans and waving placards with inscriptions such as “Don’t Play Politics With Our Lives,” “Turaki is Working, Let Him Be,” and “Ilorin Deserves Better,” the demonstrators demanded that politics be separated from development.
At the center of the outrage is the controversial suspension of a federal hospital renovation project in Ilorin East Local Government Area.
The project, which was approved and funded through Senator Mustapha’s office, was halted following reported interference by the local government chairman, Lukman Agbelere, a known political ally of Governor AbdulRazaq.
The local government chairman insisted that he had already commenced renovation work on the facility and therefore saw no need to entertain any intervention from the Senator.
In a broadcast monitored by Legit.ng on Tuesday morning, July 22, Agbelere elaborated on the reasons behind his decision, linking it directly to the sour relationship between Senator Mustapha and Governor Abdulrazaq.
He explained:
"If they followed the right processes while proposing the project, we would have told them that this particular project is among what I am also working on.
"The person who brought the letter did not meet me, but I met the letter on my table. The project was already on my list when I saw the letter."
Agbelere clarified:
“On the second thing I said in the viral video, if people are saying Senator Mustapha and the governor are fighting, I am also involved in the fight. It should be clear to the whole world that our governor and Senator Mustapha are not on good terms as we speak.
“They may both come from Kwara Central senatorial district, but they are currently having issues. What is causing the issues, I don't know. But the moment I understand that they are having a rift, I have to support my boss, who is the Governor."
Agbelere reiterated his loyalty to Governor Abdulrazaq, whom he credits for his political rise, as more important than any other consideration.
“It was the same Governor who installed me as the chairman. If I said I would not stand with him on this issue, it would amount to betrayal. And it was the same Governor who pushed for us in Ilorin East to have a Senator, who is Saliu Mustapha.
"Before his support, we had never had a senator from our local government,” Agbelere emphasised Agbelere also clarified the claim that the project was worth N200 million, saying the figures didn’t align with what was submitted to him.
Legit.ng gathered that the assertions of the council chairman led to the massive protest on Wednesday.
Speaking to Legit.ng, Alhaja Aminat, a member of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East, described the recent development in the ruling party as shameful and insensitive.
Alhaja Aminat said many expectant mothers and children rely on that particular hospital and called on Governor AbdulRazaq to intervene before the situation escalates further.
“This is not about politics. This is about life and death. Our children go to that hospital, our women deliver there. Why would anyone block its renovation simply because of a political disagreement?” she asked rhetorically.
The APC member said:
“I am using this medium to beg both the governor and Senator Mustapha not to allow what is between them to affect the lives of the citizens."
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Another protester, Issa Hayatu, expressed frustration that the state government was undermining federal efforts aimed at developing the community.
He said the primary health care centre in question is long overdue for comprehensive rehabilitation, given the increasing number of residents who rely on it for essential medical services.
“We didn’t see politics when these things were coming. Why now? Why should the people suffer because two politicians don’t get along?” he queried.
Also speaking during the protest, Malam Sulaiman Jimoh, a community development leader in Gambari, condemned the action of the local government chairman and described it as a dangerous misuse of power.
He said:
“This health centre is for the people, not for the Governor or Senator. If they are fighting, they should keep it to themselves. The poor masses should not be caught in the crossfire."
Many residents who spoke to Legit.ng said the protest was necessary to send a clear message to the state leadership that the people of Kwara will no longer tolerate the use of state institutions to frustrate development for political reasons.
They warned that any further attempt to block Senator Mustapha’s projects could lead to bigger unrest, especially in Ilorin Central, where the Senator enjoys widespread grassroots support.
Protesters accused of being driven by politics
So far, the Kwara state government has not issued any official response to the allegations.
However, sources close to the state administration dismissed the protest as politically-motivated and accused Senator Mustapha’s supporters of trying to whip up sentiment against the Governor.
Legit.ng reports that the ongoing rift between Governor AbdulRazaq and Senator Mustapha has been an open secret in Kwara political circles since the build-up to the 2023 general elections. Both men belong to the APC but have continued to lead opposing factions within the party.
Protesting butchers shut down Ilorin abattoir
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that butchers at the Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki Ultra Modern Abattoir, located at Harmony Estate along Sobi Road in Ilorin, Kwara state, staged a protest against what they described as an outrageous and sudden increase in daily levies imposed by the Ilorin East local government area (LGA).
Members of the Irepodun United Butchers Association of Nigeria, who led the protest, shut down all activities at the abattoir in a coordinated demonstration, demanding an immediate reversal of the new fee structure.
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Source: Legit.ng
Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.
Atanda Omobolaji (Kwara State Correspondent)
