A political storm is brewing in Kwara State following allegations that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq secretly awarded an $800 million contract to his elder brother, Dr Alimi AbdulRazaq—a claim the state government has strongly refuted.
The allegation was made during a radio programme on Wednesday by Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporter of the Ò Tọ̀ Gẹ́ movement.
In a swift response on Thursday, the state government described the claim as fabricated and harmful. Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said the administration had “never awarded any contract of such magnitude to anyone.”
“The claim by Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim that His Excellency awarded an $800m project or empowerment scheme to his elder brother is baseless and malicious,” Olukoju stated.
“At no point did the Kwara State Government receive or award any project worth $800 million. This allegation is reckless and intended to mislead the public.”
She further emphasised that Alimi AbdulRazaq is “a respected legal practitioner and Bencher, not a contractor.”
The commissioner also criticised the radio station for failing to caution the guest, saying such broadcasts “pose a risk to public peace.”
She called on the National Broadcasting Commission to review the programme, adding that private citizens defamed during the broadcast were free to seek legal redress.
The Peoples Democratic Party, however, accused the government of evading the real issue. In a statement on Friday, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, argued that the government was more concerned with defending the governor’s family than addressing public concerns.
“The entire government machinery was rolled out to defend a private family matter. This is the definition of conflict of interest,” PDP said.
“Instead of attacking the radio station, the government should simply answer the question: Did Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq award a contract worth $800 million to his brother or not?”
The opposition party demanded a direct explanation from the governor and a public statement from his brother. It also called for the release of all contracts awarded since 2019.
The PDP further demanded a forensic review of a previous transformer contract allegedly linked to another “AbdulRazaq” who reportedly received 85% upfront but failed to deliver.
“The recurring appearance of the AbdulRazaq name in controversial contract stories is a disturbing pattern. Kwarans are not foolish,” the party warned.
