Kwara APC Woman Leader Accuses Commissioner of Harassment Over Empowerment Gift

• APC woman leader Hajia Aisha Shehu accused Kwara State Commissioner Shehu Usman of harassment over her participation in Senator Mustapha’s programme
• She alleged political intimidation, threats, and expulsion from the party after receiving a grinding machine through the Alubarika Empowerment Programme
• Efforts to get a response from the commissioner were unsuccessful, as internal rifts within Kwara APC deepen between factions loyal to the governor and senator

A woman leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Hajia Aisha Shehu, popularly known as “Nnamama,” has accused the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Shehu Ndanusa Usman, of harassment and intimidation over her participation in an empowerment programme organised by Senator Saliu Mustapha.

In an exclusive audio conversation obtained by Legit.ng, Hajia Aisha revealed that she was pressured to return the grinding machine she received as part of Senator Mustapha’s "Alubarika Empowerment Programme."

Woman leader kicked out of party

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The incident, she said, has led to her alleged expulsion from the APC at the ward level, as well as threats from party officials loyal to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Speaking in the audio conversation, Hajia Aisha, from Ward II, Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area, narrated her ordeal.

“Before Ramadan, my name was listed among beneficiaries of the empowerment programme. I was invited to Ilorin to collect a grinding machine. After I returned home, they started calling me out, saying I had been expelled from the party because I’m among the influential women in Lafiagi. They claimed I shouldn’t have attended the event, alleging the governor had instructed that nobody should go,” she said.

Usman pays woman leader tie-ending visit

She added that the Commissioner, Hon. Usman, later visited her home and distanced himself from her politically, saying he would no longer discuss party affairs with her.

“He told me he wouldn’t relate with me anymore. They asked me to return the grinding machine and even record a video rejecting it publicly, which I refused. Why should I return what I legitimately received from a programme initiated by someone within our party?” she stated.

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The woman released another video, speaking in the Nupe language, to back her claim. The video was seen by Legit.ng.

In the video, Hajia Aisha expressed fear for her safety and well-being.

She said:

“I no longer sleep well at night. Since the commissioner threatened me, my mind has not rested. I am not the only one from Kwara North that benefited, why are they targeting me in Lafiagi?”

Kwara APC cracking from within

Legit.ng learned that the incident may be part of a larger rift within the ruling APC between supporters of Governor AbdulRazaq and those backing Senator Saliu Mustapha, the current chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

It was gathered that Senator Mustapha, in February, rolled out a large-scale empowerment initiative at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Ilorin, the state capital.

The Senator distributed items such as tractors, vehicles, grinding machines, sewing machines, farm inputs, and grants to hundreds of beneficiaries.

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Legit.ng made multiple efforts to obtain a response from Hon. Shehu Ndanusa Usman. Several calls and WhatsApp messages were sent to his phone, but he declined to respond. Subsequently, the commissioner blocked further attempts to reach him for comment.

Residents flee homes as two killed, others injured in Kwara

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a deadly communal clash over a disputed cashew farm had left at least two people dead and several others injured in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The violent confrontation, which erupted on Friday between residents of Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities, has forced many locals to flee their homes.

Source: Legit.ng