The commencement of construction work on the long-awaited Oko-Olowo flyover in Ilorin, Kwara State, has triggered a fresh dispute between Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Senator Saliu Mustapha over who played the leading role in securing the project.
The Federal Government approved the construction of the flyover, valued at about N21 billion, in June 2026 as part of major road infrastructure projects across several states. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve safety at the accident-prone Oko-Olowo intersection along the Ilorin-Jebba corridor.
Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central in the Senate, has linked the project to his legislative and diplomatic efforts, recalling that he moved a motion on the Senate floor in November 2024 calling for urgent intervention at the junction.
The senator subsequently met with Works Minister David Umahi and the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, in April 2025, where he pushed for the construction of a flyover and other safety measures. Following the engagement, the Federal Government said engineers would assess the location.
However, AbdulRazaq has maintained that his administration had been advocating for a permanent solution at Oko-Olowo since 2019.
The governor said he renewed the request after President Bola Tinubu assumed office and personally visited Umahi in 2024 alongside other political leaders to press for the construction of the flyover and improvements to the Ilorin-Lokoja road through Omu Aran.
During an official visit to Kwara in October 2025, Umahi announced that the Oko-Olowo flyover had been approved and would be implemented by the Federal Government.
The disagreement over the project comes against the backdrop of growing political differences between AbdulRazaq and Mustapha, who are both members of the All Progressives Congress.
The Oko-Olowo intersection has been the subject of repeated safety concerns following a series of fatal crashes, with the Senate previously citing significant loss of lives at the location.
With construction now underway, attention has shifted from who deserves the credit to how quickly the project can be completed and whether it will finally end the recurring accidents and traffic problems at the busy intersection.
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