A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, Saheed Popoola, has admitted that he played a leading role in politicising the 2018 Offa bank robbery and associating former Senate President Bukola Saraki with the incident as part of the political campaign against him.
Popoola, who is now the Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate for Kwara South, said the robbery controversy was deliberately revived and used during the political struggle against Saraki.
He made the disclosure at the palace of the Olofa of Offa during Saraki’s political tour of Kwara South on Sunday.
Popoola said he was a prominent member of the APC during the O To Ge movement and acknowledged that political considerations influenced the way the Offa robbery issue was deployed against Saraki.
“I was a leading member of the APC then that started the politicisation and revival of the issue of Offa robbery just to get to Saraki. But after we finished and won, it was me that was being persecuted,” he said.
He further admitted that songs and slogans were used to associate Saraki with the robbery because of the political battle at the time.
“This includes the use of songs and slogans to associate Saraki with the incident just because of politics. However, God has intervened and the reality is that Saraki is back in Kwara,” Popoola said.
The former APC chieftain expressed regret over his role in the political campaign, saying the opposition to Saraki at the time was influenced by political interests and misinformation rather than the facts surrounding the robbery.
Popoola also challenged those who continued to use the Offa tragedy for political purposes to demonstrate genuine concern for the victims and their families.
He alleged that many of those who continued to politicise the incident had neither reached out to the affected families nor provided meaningful assistance to them.
Rejecting suggestions that Saraki could have sponsored the robbery for financial reasons, Popoola said the argument did not make sense to him considering Saraki’s financial standing.
“All the money in the entire banks in Offa, Ilorin, Patigi and the entire Kwara State put together is not enough for Saraki to spend in three days,” he said.
Popoola maintained that the continued association of Saraki with the robbery had been driven by politics, insisting that those who participated in the campaign against the former Senate President should acknowledge the political circumstances surrounding it.
He also said Saraki’s return to Offa should not be viewed solely through the lens of political calculations, arguing that the former Senate President had demonstrated concern for the community and its people.
.. “I Helped Politicise Offa Robbery Just To Get At Saraki” — Popoola Admits, Says Allegations Were Used To Settle Political Scores … NewsNGR.
