2027: Gov AbdulRazaq plans to import foreigners for elections, Kwara PDP raises alarm

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has called on security agencies to investigate what it described as persistent rumours of a plan by political actors to mobilise foreign nationals into the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party also urged the Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies to strengthen surveillance of Kwara’s international border corridors and cross-border movements.

The PDP’s call followed the recent attendance of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and APC governorship candidate, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, at the 2026 Gaani Festival in Nikki, Republic of Benin.

In a statement on Thursday signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the PDP said rumours had circulated for months among opposition supporters that the APC was planning a “cross-border strategy” to bring foreign nationals into Kwara for the 2027 elections.

The party said such claims could previously have been dismissed as political rhetoric but argued that the governor’s appearance at the cross-border cultural festival had made the allegations worthy of scrutiny by relevant authorities.

The PDP, however, acknowledged that attendance at a cultural festival in Benin Republic did not in itself constitute evidence of an electoral offence.

“While attendance at a cultural festival in the Republic of Benin does not, by itself, constitute an electoral offence or proof of wrongdoing, the presence of the Governor and his anointed candidate at this material time raises questions that relevant security and electoral institutions must independently scrutinise,” the statement said.

The opposition party said it was concerned about what it described as the “troubling coincidence” between the alleged rumours and the presence of the governor and APC candidate at a major gathering outside Nigeria.

It called on the Kwara State Government and APC leadership to clarify the purpose of their participation in the festival and whether there was any connection between the visit and the alleged mobilisation of foreign nationals for political purposes.

The PDP urged the Nigeria Immigration Service, DSS and police to pay particular attention to movements through the state’s border communities, while calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen monitoring of voter transfer processes and other electoral mechanisms.

The party said its concern was not limited to the 2027 elections but to the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.

“Nigeria’s democracy must never become vulnerable to the unlawful participation of persons who are not legally entitled to determine the leadership of our country and its constituent states,” the PDP said.

The party stressed that its alarm should not be interpreted as an allegation that any offence had already been committed, saying its demand was for preventive security measures and independent verification of the claims.

“We are raising this alarm because prevention is always better than investigation after the damage has been done,” it said.