... Declares to contest for 2027 Kwara Governorship election under PDP at GDJ Monthly Interface
Former Speaker of the 8th Kwara State House of Assembly, Prof. Ali Ahmad, has called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy advanced surveillance technology and improve intelligence gathering to halt rising insecurity in Kwara State following a deadly attack on Woro community.
Ahmad, a university lecturer, spoke on Tuesday during the Monthly Interface organised by the Guild of Digital Journalists (GDJ) in Ilorin, the State Capital.
The former Speaker described the attack in Woro as the most devastating banditry incident in the state in decades, warning that the violence represents a dangerous escalation.
“It is a sudden development. We visited there yesterday (Monday) and returned safely, but the number of people killed is shocking,” he said.
According to him, the community had not experienced such violence in the past two years, but the frequency of attacks has rapidly increased.
He alleged that bandits bombed three nearby military posts before invading the village, enabling them to operate unchallenged for hours.
He said, “What I gathered from sources was that there were military posts across the surrounding community. The three military posts were bombed before the invasion of the community. It was the absence of this military that made the bandits attack and took their time at the Woro village”.
Ahmad implored the Federal Government of Nigeria to intervene decisively to prevent further spread across Kwara North and South, stressing that Nigeria’s security architecture suffers from weak intelligence and insufficient technology.
“Intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, including sophisticated thermal detection technology, are our biggest problems. Without detection and consequences, these attacks will continue,” he said.
He acknowledged relief efforts by the National Emergency Management Agency but insisted proactive prevention was more critical than post-attack response.
The ex-Speaker also advocated interstate intelligence cooperation and suggested that Nigeria may need external security assistance if overwhelmed.
Ahmad said he wished Vice President Kashim Shettima had visited affected communities directly during his condolence trip to the state government.
On party politics, Ahmad criticised the empathy capacity of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defended past legislative defections during his tenure, stating he prevented the impeachment of a lone lawmaker who refused to defect.
He also backed legislation mandating lawmakers who defect to forfeit their seats and seek re-election.
Regarding opposition politics, he predicted the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be resolved soon in a matter of weeks.
“The PDP crisis will be resolved in two to three weeks. We are not for Wike or Turaki. We are neutral. The court judgement will settle it and we will abide by whichever faction it favours,” he said.
He ruled out joining the APC. “It is impossible for me to defect to APC. I have no romance with the APC led government in the state.”
Ahmad officially declared his intention to contest the Kwara governorship election in 2027 under the PDP platform.
He also announced plans to distribute Ramadan and Lent food packages to both Muslims and Christians without discrimination, urging citizens to pray for peace in the state.
“I wish Muslim brothers and sisters and Christians alike renewed spiritual engagement and pray that everybody will achieve that renewed engagement,” he stated..
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