The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Kwara State Government of using the renewed Offa bank robbery case involving former Senate President Bukola Saraki as a political distraction from governance challenges in the state.

The party alleged that the development is aimed at diverting attention from pressing issues and weakening Saraki’s political standing ahead of future elections.

The PDP further maintained that no amount of political propaganda would change what it described as the inevitable public judgement awaiting Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in 2027, urging him instead to focus on governance and self-assessment.

The controversy follows legal opinions issued in 2018 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, which stated that there was no evidence linking Saraki to the Offa robbery incident.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, acting on police investigation reports submitted by the Nigeria Police Force, reportedly concluded that no prima facie case was established against the former Senate President.

The legal advice, issued after a review of investigative reports by the Intelligence Response Team, recommended further investigation into the matter but did not implicate Saraki in the crime. A subsequent review of additional police findings reaffirmed the same position while directing prosecution against individuals directly connected to the robbery.

The case later proceeded in court, where several suspects were tried and convicted by the Kwara State High Court in 2024. The court sentenced five defendants to death, a judgment which was upheld by the Court of Appeal in Ilorin in January 2026, with the appellate court affirming that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court.Despite the earlier federal legal opinions and court rulings, the Kwara State Government has reportedly instituted fresh charges against Saraki and others, alleging that weapons and other exhibits linked to the robbery were recovered from government facilities and presented during the trial of the principal suspects.

Prosecutors are also relying on confessional statements attributed to some of the convicted individuals, who allegedly claimed they received support from political actors.

The development has reignited debate among legal practitioners and political observers over the propriety of reopening the case.

While some lawyers argue that new evidence, if properly established, could justify fresh prosecution regardless of earlier conclusions, others caution that the move may be perceived as politically motivated, especially in the context of rising political realignments ahead of 2027.