Oko-Olowo Flyover: Online Reactions Trail Credit Battle Between AbdulRazaq, Mustapha

Reactions have continued to trail the commencement of construction work on the Oko-Olowo flyover in Ilorin, Kwara State, with supporters of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Senator Saliu Mustapha trading claims over who facilitated the project.

The Federal Government recently commenced work on the N21 billion flyover, a project expected to ease traffic congestion and improve safety at the busy Oko-Olowo corridor.

Kwara State Government Following the development, Governor AbdulRazaq said the project was the result of sustained advocacy by his administration, dating back to 2019.

According to the governor, the state renewed its request after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in 2023, including engagements with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to push for the project.

However, supporters of Senator Saliu Mustapha have also intensified their campaign, pointing to his November 2024 motion at the Senate calling for the construction of a flyover at the Oko-Olowo junction.

Mustapha has said his intervention did not end with the Senate motion, as he subsequently engaged the Minister of Works and the Minister of State for Works over the project.

The competing claims have now triggered a wave of reactions online, with some users crediting the governor, while others insist that the senator's legislative intervention and subsequent engagements deserve recognition.

Some online commentators, however, have urged political actors to move beyond the battle over credit and focus on the completion of the project, saying the flyover is ultimately for the benefit of motorists, residents and other road users.

The Oko-Olowo junction has for years been associated with serious traffic challenges and road crashes. Governor AbdulRazaq had also previously called for a flyover at the location following a fatal accident in January 2024.

Kwara State Government As construction gets underway, the emerging online debate appears to have shifted from who deserves the credit to whether the project will be completed on schedule and deliver the promised relief to commuters.

For many residents, the immediate concern is simple: less traffic, fewer accidents and safer movement.