Saraki’s false Crusade: Unmasking the hypocrisy behind the demolition controversy

Saraki

Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga

By Kemi Ayoola

The recent demolition of the Crystal Place shopping mall in Ilorin has sparked an outcry from former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, who has seized this event as an opportunity to portray himself as the voice of Kwarans. His press release condemning Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s government reeks of desperation, falsehood, and hypocrisy, aimed at exploiting a situation for cheap political gain. But let’s set the record straight: Saraki’s sudden concern for Kwara’s economy and youth is nothing more than an attempt to rewrite his own sordid political legacy, marked by years of misrule, manipulation, and cronyism.

First, it is laughable that Saraki is now championing the cause of Hon. Moshood Mustapha, the same man he sidelined for political expediency. The same land Saraki refused to allocate to Mustapha during his time in power is now being paraded as a victim of demolition by Saraki himself. Did he consider the “big picture” back then? Or was his decision guided solely by the narrow interests of consolidating political power at the expense of those who served him? Saraki orchestrated his own version of political demolition, denying MM the same land he now pretends to defend. How convenient for him to forget this when he is seeking to score political points.

The truth is clear: the demolition of Crystal Mall is not about politics. It is about enforcing the law, which Saraki so conveniently ignored during his years in power. According to the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS), the land was approved strictly for a car park in 2013—under Saraki’s protege governor Abdulahmed Abdulfatai , no less. Yet the site was unlawfully converted into a shopping complex, violating urban planning laws, hindering road expansion, and sabotaging the environmental renewal agenda of the Abdulrazaq administration. The former Senate President, who now claims to be concerned about the state’s economy, was silent when these violations first occurred. Why didn’t he speak up then?

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s administration has proven time and again that it is committed to the rule of law and good governance. The urban renewal program currently underway in Kwara is not about targeting political opponents; it is about ensuring that all structures comply with regulations, whether owned by supporters or critics. Several other properties have faced demolition for similar breaches, but Saraki conveniently chooses to focus only on this one instance. Why? Because it fits into his narrative of persecution, a narrative built on the false assumption that everything must be viewed through a political lens.

Saraki, of course, operates from a mindset of political warfare, where everything is personal and every action is driven by vendettas. But Governor Abdulrazaq is cut from a different cloth. His administration has consistently worked for the larger public interest, not the selective defense of cronies. This demolition is not about Moshood Mustapha’s falling out with Saraki or his alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC); it is about upholding the law, something Saraki seems to find difficult to understand after 16 years of running Kwara State as his personal fiefdom.

Now, let’s talk about the youth of Kwara State, whom Saraki suddenly remembers as victims of this demolition. Does he also remember the very youths he weaponized as political thugs during his reign? The same thugs who terrorized the state, engaged in violence, and were implicated in the Offa robbery that claimed 33 innocent lives, including a pregnant woman? If Saraki is truly concerned about the future of Kwara’s youth, perhaps he should begin by making restitution to the families who were destroyed by his reckless political games.

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Saraki’s tears for the economic loss caused by the demolition are nothing short of crocodile tears. Under his watch, Kwara’s economy was ravaged by 16 years of crass mismanagement, siphoning of state resources, and the creation of an elite class that benefited only those in his inner circle. The very youth he claims to care about were left without opportunities, their futures mortgaged to fund the Saraki dynasty’s relentless thirst for power. Now, he dares to accuse Governor Abdulrazaq of destroying jobs? Perhaps he should be reminded that the jobs lost due to the illegal conversion of Crystal Mall are the same ones created under unlawful circumstances. Is Saraki truly advocating for lawlessness as a path to economic development?

The governor’s focus has been clear: building a Kwara State that works for all, not just for the elite. The current administration’s urban renewal plan is a testament to this commitment. It is about making Kwara a state of pride, where laws are respected, urban planning is followed, and the environment is protected. The transformation that has been underway in Ilorin and other parts of the state is a far cry from the decay Saraki left behind. It is not about suppressing voices but about enforcing standards that serve the public interest.

Saraki’s thinly veiled threats about his father’s burial site being the next target are just another example of his shameless attempts to incite fear and unrest. Governor Abdulrazaq has shown that his administration operates with dignity and respect for the law, and no amount of Saraki’s melodrama can change that. Saraki may believe that stirring up old divisions will serve his political ambitions, but the people of Kwara have moved beyond his toxic brand of politics.

Governor Abdulrazaq’s time in office is about liberating the state from the chains of political patronage and impunity that Saraki imposed during his reign. The demolition of illegal structures is not a war on the people, as Saraki claims, but a step toward ensuring that Kwara becomes a state where rules are followed, and no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law.

Conclusively, it’s time for Dr. Bukola Saraki to reckon with his own legacy. The same people he now purports to defend are the ones he abandoned during his long years of dominance. Kwarans cannot be fooled by his sudden reawakening. His attempt to rewrite history will not work. Kwara is mo ving forward, and no amount of empty rhetoric can change that. Saraki should go and make restitution to the state he plundered and the people he destroyed, instead of crying wolf when the law finally catches up to the legacy of impunity he left behind.

-Ayoola is media specialist from Lagos