WORO TRAGEDY: A TEST OF EMPATHY, A RECKONING FOR THE APC AS THE RULING PARTY — PROF. ALI AHMAD
There are moments in the life of a people when tragedy does not only test their resilience; it tests the conscience of those who claim to lead them. The recent horrific attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area stands as one of such defining moments for Kwara State.
Lives were brutally cut short. Families were shattered. Homes and businesses were reduced to ashes. Entire households have been thrown into trauma, uncertainty, and displacement. The pain of Woro is not local; it is collective. It is a wound on the conscience of our state.
In the face of this tragedy, Prof. Ali Ahmad commended the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, particularly our Leader, His Excellency Dr. Bukola Saraki, CON, for demonstrating prompt empathy and responsible leadership.
As a governorship aspirant under the PDP, Prof. Ali Ahmad personally led a solemn solidarity visit to Woro, beginning with a courtesy engagement at the Emir’s Palace in Kaiama and proceeding to the affected village, including the burial grounds of the victims where prayers were offered and moments of reflection observed. Engr. Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu, also a governorship aspirant under the party, equally undertook a solidarity visit, standing with grieving families and community leaders.
Furthermore, the state delegation to Kaiama and Woro community was constituted by our party and led by no less a personality than the State Chairman, Alhaji Issa Adamu Bawa. The delegation carried out an on-the-spot assessment and delivered food palliatives as well as financial support to families directly impacted by the attack.
These were not symbolic gestures; they were necessary acts of compassion and responsibility.
It is particularly significant that Dr. Bukola Saraki, despite being in personal mourning over the passing of his beloved father-in-law, addressed the nation in less than 24 hours after the massacre, calling for urgent federal intervention and decisive security measures. That action reflects leadership that prioritizes people even in moments of personal grief.
Leadership is most visible when circumstances are most painful.
Prof. Ali Ahmad noted that the APC apparatus, as the ruling political structure in Kwara State, is expected to demonstrate visible urgency and solidarity in moments such as this. At a time when a community was burying its dead and counting its losses, greater public reassurance and coordinated political presence would have strengthened confidence among the affected citizens.
Politics is not merely about occupying office; it is about standing physically and morally with the people in moments of crisis.
The tragedy in Woro must serve as a turning point. Security cannot remain reactive; it must become preventive. There is an urgent need for:
Strengthened intelligence gathering mechanisms.
Functional, community-based early warning systems.
Sustained security presence in vulnerable rural communities.
Coordinated collaboration between security agencies, traditional institutions, and local stakeholders.
No political structure can afford to appear distant when citizens are buried in mass graves. Leadership demands sensitivity, presence, and decisive engagement.
The Peoples Democratic Party has demonstrated that empathy must be practical. We visited. We assessed. We prayed. We supported. We spoke up nationally. We stood with Woro.
History will remember who stood in solidarity and who stood aside.
May the souls of the departed rest in peace. May comfort reach every grieving family. And may this painful chapter awaken a deeper sense of responsibility across our political landscape.
Sa’ad Ayinde
Media Assistant to Prof. Ali Ahmad
Former Speaker, 8th Kwara State House of Assembly
Governorship Aspirant, Kwara State
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)