The Global President of the Offa Descendants Union (ODU), Alhaji (Dr.) Muideen Olaniyi Azeez Salako, has stated emphatically that Offa cannot afford to return to the opposition at this critical point in its political and developmental journey.
Dr. Salako made the remark during the commissioning of the newly constructed 1.1-kilometre Anilelerin–Ayaba–Iyeru–Okin Road in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
According to him, the commissioning of the road project symbolises a true dividend of democracy and a testament to good governance under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
“It’s been a long while since we saw a local government chairman commissioning a road in Offa.
“The chairman was elected amid turbulence — there were those who doubted his capacity, some even mocked him because he sold amala and questioned his command of English. We organised a debate then, and he proved them wrong. But beyond speaking English, he has shown native intelligence and transparency in governance.”
Dr. Salako commended the Offa Local Government Chairman for his openness and accountability, citing how the council boss once presented the local government’s security allocation to community elders for collective deliberation.
“Not all local government chairmen can do that,” he noted. “Anyone who consults with elders will not go astray.”
The ODU President further lauded Governor AbdulRazaq for his attention to infrastructural development in Offa, including the reconstruction of Ibrahim Taiwo Road, the ongoing dualisation of Olofa Way, and the 49-kilometre Eyenkorin–Afon–Offa–Odo-Otin concrete federal road project facilitated through the BUA Group under the federal tax credit scheme.
He said: “I’ve had the privilege of several long discussions with the Governor. He told me his vision for Offa — to connect the North to the South through strategic road networks. We can already see that vision materialising.”
Dr. Salako maintained that Offa’s political alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC) at both state and federal levels has brought unprecedented recognition and benefits to the ancient town.
“For the first time in our history, we are fully aligned politically,” he said. “Our son, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, is the Deputy Senate Leader. The Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Abdulateef Tayo Shittu, is also from Offa. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Aide-de-Camp to the President, Colonel Nurudeen Yusuf, are all our indigenes. This is not the time for us to attack or oppose this government — it doesn’t pay us.”
Reflecting on Offa’s long history of opposition politics, Dr. Salako said the community had often found itself on the opposite side of power since the First Republic.
“From the days of Awolowo’s Action Group, to UPN, AD, ACN, and SDP — we’ve always been in opposition,” he said. “But APC, which evolved from those progressive movements, now controls both the federal and state governments. This is our time, and we must not throw it away. We cannot afford to be in opposition again.”
He urged Offa indigenes to sustain their support for the APC-led government, stressing that gratitude for current gains would open the door for greater development.
“Whoever appreciates a favour will receive more,” he said. “Let’s be thankful to the Governor so we can enjoy more dividends of democracy. Offa must continue to prosper — and to do that, we must stay united with the government of the day.”
