Kwara govt, PDP clash over residents’ registration exercise

The ongoing residents’ registration exercise in Kwara State has sparked a political row, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the state government of using the initiative to carry out political profiling and prepare grounds for electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections. But the government denied the allegation, saying the exercise is […]

The ongoing residents’ registration exercise in Kwara State has sparked a political row, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the state government of using the initiative to carry out political profiling and prepare grounds for electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

But the government denied the allegation, saying the exercise is “part of the state government’s efforts to build a centralised demographic database that is crucial for effective planning, service delivery, and security management”.

In a statement, the PDP alleged that the exercise, overseen by the Kwara State Residents Registration Agency (KWASRRA), has been hijacked by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to victimise opposition members and manipulate the state’s digital database for partisan ends.

According to the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the inclusion of questions relating to political orientation and party affiliation in the residents’ registration form is a violation of privacy and an abuse of public trust.

“It is both appalling and suspicious that a government exercise meant to capture basic demographic information is now probing residents about their political affiliations.

“This raises critical questions about the true intent of the data collection and casts a dark shadow on the integrity of the entire process”, Adewara said.

He further alleged that the agency’s data-gathering efforts have been turned into a political weapon to target opposition members in the run-up to the 2027 elections.

The PDP claimed that access to future social intervention programs, such as those under KWASSIP, could be skewed in favour of loyalists of the ruling party.

“Including political questions in a registration form is intrusive, unnecessary, and reeks of desperation”, the party added.

But reacting to the PDP’s position in a telephone chat with Daily Trust, the Acting Chairman of KWASRRA, Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh, described the allegations as unfounded and misleading.

“We are aware of the PDP allegations. Ideally, data gathering of this nature is holistic and designed to answer questions across several human endeavours for purposes of planning, economic development, and social inclusion,” Jimoh said.

He explained that while political orientation was one of the questions initially included, the form also had an option allowing respondents to decline to answer. “There was a provision that says ‘I prefer not to talk’, which made it completely optional. So, it was never about monitoring anyone,” he said.

According to him, the agency has since removed the section entirely following public concerns in order to preserve the credibility and objectives of the exercise.

“After they raised the issue and we sat to review it, that section with the political orientation aspect has been completely removed from our website. We don’t want their allegations to discredit a laudable initiative aimed at helping the state plan better for its citizens,” he added.

Jimoh also clarified that the governor has not interfered in the activities of the agency at any point since the project commenced.