AbdulRaham AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara State, has ordered the demolishing of the ancestoral political home of belonging to the father of his political rival, Bukola Saraki. The property has belonged to the late Olusola Saraki since 1980.
The property, regarded as Senator Saraki’s political home known is called Ile Arugbo and it is located in Ilorin, the state’s capital.
According to reports, the building was demolished early Thursday, January 2, 2020 after security operatives dispersed protesters, including aged women within the complex.
The state government had fixed midnight for the demolition exercise to avoid a clash with Saraki’s loyalists who had been keeping a vigil in the area.
The government’s attempt to demolish the structure on New Year’s Day around 2 a.m. was stopped by protesters.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in December announced his decision to revoke the late Olusola Saraki’s property owing to alleged illegality in its acquisition.
He said the land was originally designated for the construction of a secretariat and parking lot of the civil service clinic, but that it was unlawfully allocated to a private firm — Asa Investments Limited — without any record of payment to the state government.
Bukola Saraki, former senate president, countered this statement, saying his late father lawfully acquired the land from the state government.
“The property had been rightfully allocated to my late father under the name of one of his companies, Asa Investment Limited, since the 1980s and contrary to the claim of the Governor, the land was properly allocated and a Right of Occupancy title issued on it,” Saraki said.
