Residents of Ilorin East Local Government Area have taken to the streets and social media to express outrage over the reported rejection of a ₦200 million healthcare project by the Executive Chairman of the council, Hon. Lukmon Garba Olayinka Agbelere.
The project — a fully funded Primary Health Centre at Awodi, Ilorin East — was facilitated by Senator Saliu Mustapha, the lawmaker representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, and captured in the 2025 Appropriation Act.
The initiative was intended to boost access to quality healthcare for underserved communities in the area.
In a video that surfaced online and has since gone viral, Hon. Garba was heard admitting that he initially withheld approval for the hospital project because of political differences between Senator Mustapha and Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
He made the comments during the recent launch of the Sardauna Ngeri Foundation, a group reportedly aligned with the Governor’s political ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I didn’t approve it because he (Saliu Mustapha) is fighting with my oga (the governor),” the chairman said in the now-viral clip, sparking outrage among constituents and civil society organizations.
Community members and activists have condemned the decision as a misuse of public office and an affront to the needs of ordinary citizens.
Several youth groups in Ilorin East have threatened to stage peaceful protests unless the project is completed without further political interference.
Meanwhile, Senator Mustapha’s office has maintained that the health centre project was legally and transparently included in the federal budget and is aimed solely at improving community health infrastructure.
In a bid to quell tensions, Hon. Garba later disclosed that the project has since commenced under his supervision and would be completed and handed over to the benefiting community.
However, critics argue that his initial admission has eroded public trust.
Calls are growing louder for accountability and non-partisan governance as Kwara heads toward what promises to be a politically charged build-up to 2027.
