Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak of Kwara State has disclosed why former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki was not arrested over the N1.5B UBEC fund that was allegedly diverted for private use by previous administrations under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in the state.

He said this weekend while launching the Campaign Council Secretariat of Kwara Central Senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) Mallam Saliu Mustapha at Basin, in Ilorin.

Governor Abdulrazak told the audience that he found some claims made by some opposition candidates laughable and quite unbelievable.

He particularly took a swipe at the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and other opposition candidates in the state, asking the basis of their confidence to take on the ruling party at the polls.

Taking a dig at the PDP, the governor wondered why a party like PDP should have the temerity to contest elections in the state when most of their men should be answering to the different charges of financial malfeasances committed while in power.

“But for their boss being the Senate President at the time, most of these characters would have been in jail for the UBEC money they stole,” explained the governor.

According to him, “for seven years, the state was blacklisted by the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, over alleged fraudulent diversion of its funds meant for Kwara schools by the previous administration under PDP.”

The governor, asking UBEC officials why the matter wasn’t reported to the relevant security agency, said that he was told that the fear of the PDP leader at the time the Senate President made the commission back out of taking such action.

“UBEC officials said that if they had taken the matter to EFCC, the commission might begin to have problems getting their budget approved at the Senate,” Abdulrazak said.

The governor also took a swipe at the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, Waziri Yakubu Gobir, governorship candidate of the party over his appellation as ‘alaanu’, the empathic one.

“Everybody in Kwara knows that Saliu Mustapha is the only alaanu and his records speak for him.” The governor said.

He further stated that the opposition parties in the state all put together can’t dent APC resolve to win at the polls.

“Why are they looking for mergers if they think they are strong enough,” the governor asked.

In his speech, the Senatorial Candidate of Kwara Central contesting under the banner of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, MSM, told his followers that his campaign and mission goes beyond ‘big ideas’, being the slogan of his closest rival Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Saliu Mustapha said that his campaign and mission go beyond ‘big ideas’ by asking his opponents what they have done for the people without government positions and people’s money.

Speaking with confidence both in Yoruba and English, lacing his rhetoric with wisecracks, historical facts and records of more than a decade of service to the grassroots, Saliu Mustapha sold himself as the man for the job of Senator, representing Kwara South.

“If a candidate is coming at this point in time to say he has some big ideas, then it shows he is unserious.

“We have left the ideational level a long time ago and we have moved on to delivering on our ideas.

“Ask them what they have done as individuals without government money.

“Go to every local government in Kwara State and you will find imprints of Saliu Mustapha Foundation.

“I did all that with my own money,” said MSM.

Speaking on his campaign council, MSM said that he is delighted to see readiness among the many volunteers who have chosen to canvass votes for him, the governor and the party.

“Our task as a team is to canvas votes, mobilise voters, and generally prosecute and win the 2023 general elections for the APC across the board.

“Our task is not merely to deliver Saliu Mustapha as a Senator.

“Rather, we have the mandate to ensure that all the party’s candidates, including our Presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, win by a landslide in Kwara,” he said. (Sunday Vanguard)

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