The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a strong rebuke against former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Kwara South Senatorial District, Saheed Popoola, concerning the politically charged discourse surrounding the Offa bank robbery that resulted in the deaths of 33 individuals in 2018.
This reaction follows statements by Mr. Popoola, who claimed he played a significant role in politicizing the robbery incident and connecting Mr. Saraki to it during the 2019 political contest in Kwara State. During a visit to Offa, Popoola reportedly admitted to reviving the issue as a means of settling political scores.
In 2024, four individuals were convicted in relation to the robbery. Mr. Saraki has long characterized the ongoing legal proceedings against him as politically motivated, particularly after the state government sought to withdraw the majority of the initial charges filed against him.
At a press briefing in Ilorin, APC State Publicity Secretary Abdulwaheed Babatunde criticized Popoola’s remarks as insensitive, asserting that evidence presented in the trial constructs a case around Saraki’s alleged connections to the incident. Babatunde pointed to statements made by convicted gang members and an alleged admission by Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former Chief of Staff, as key parts of the evidence.
He remarked that Popoola’s acknowledgment of politicization does not negate the evidence established during criminal proceedings involving the convicted suspects. “The purport of Popoola’s statement is not lost on the people of Offa and Kwara State,” Babatunde noted, questioning Popoola’s credibility in light of his admission.
Additionally, APC Deputy Chairman Abdullahi Samari described Popoola’s comments as unfortunate and insensitively trivializing the tragedy experienced by families affected by the robbery. He emphasized the ongoing grief for victims’ relatives, urging politicians to refrain from exploiting such tragedies for electoral gains.
The APC’s response coincides with evolving legal and political circumstances surrounding the robbery. A Kwara State High Court convicted five principal suspects in September 2024, with those convictions upheld by the Court of Appeal in January 2026. The ongoing case against Saraki and his co-defendants is separate from those proceedings. Following the state government’s application to modify the charges against the defendants, the court has yet to make a ruling.
As the political landscape heats up ahead of the 2027 general elections, Saraki continues to deny any involvement in the robbery. His media team contends that the withdrawal of charges reflects the baselessness of the initial allegations, asserting intentions to challenge the remaining charges in court.
