The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Akogun Oyedepo, has accepted the challenge by Kwara State government to public debate on their claim to have received the sum of N337bn from June 2019 to December 2021.
The government, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Communications, Bashir Adigun, said the allegations were widely reported on various social media platforms.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Oyedepo was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state before he defected to the SDP last year.
“Government is convinced that the claim is a baseless lie. It is one of the few postulations without evidence from Akogun Oyedepo who has a reputation for always wanting to be the wise man in the room and the cleanest Kwaran who ever lived.
“For the purpose of the general public, we challenge the head of the SDP to a debate that will be broadcast live on various broadcasting platforms and or other platforms of their choice, which will be mandatory and paid for. The media is also invited to this debate,” Mr. Adigun said in the statement. .
He said the debate would enable each side to give an account of what they had obtained with relevant details from the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The governor’s aide said that members of the opposition are free to disagree with the government but must give their opinions based on facts.
“We recognize the tendency of the opposition to want to belittle the achievements of the government. We also do not discuss the right to (hold) any perception about the government, which is clearly different from the positive praise the administration received from the non-partisan public of Kwara.
“However, we believe that the truth is sacred. Since the data discussed is available to the public, especially the neutral source that is the Federal Ministry of Finance, it is important to debate what has happened in Kwara State so far to remove doubts,” he said.
Mr. Adigun said that the state government will be represented by the Finance Commissioner and the State Accountant General during the debate.
Oyedepo accepted the debate
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Oyedepo admitted he made the statement during a radio interview.
He said he believed in what he told the government and would participate in the debate.
Mr. Oyedepo said the state government agreed with the amount quoted but did not agree with the timeframe.
“No, I made a statement on the radio criticizing the state government for not doing what is best for the people of Kwara despite all the money they can afford. And I quote that figure.
“They agree with my figures but they don’t agree with the years. I really don’t know why they are arguing about anything here. I told them to follow me for three years or four years, and for them to come and count. So, what that’s the problem there,” he said.
He told them to prepare a debate to cover both revenue and administrative expenses, allow people to see the Bill of the number of projects they claim to have been implemented and cover the issue of misplacement of priorities by the state government among other issues.
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