A socio-security advocacy group, Joint Security Watch Kwara South, has dismissed claims that insecurity and bandit attacks have drastically reduced the voting population and political relevance of Kwara South ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Kwara State.

The group described the allegations as misleading and politically motivated, insisting that the district remains one of the strongest political blocs in the state despite recent security challenges.

Speaking in a statement issued on Sunday, the group’s coordinator, Elder Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, said attempts to portray Kwara South as deserted due to kidnapping and banditry were false and intended to weaken the zone’s influence within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, insecurity in parts of Kwara State is not peculiar to Kwara South, noting that criminal elements infiltrated the state through forest corridors and border communities. Banditry and kidnapping in Kwara entered through ungoverned forests and weak border points.

They are not indigenous to Kwara South and do not define our people,” he stated. Oyin-Zubair explained that attacks recorded in some communities were largely concentrated in isolated rural areas where security presence was initially weak.

He added that ongoing operations by security agencies and local vigilante groups had significantly improved the situation across affected communities. The group further stated that many residents displaced by earlier attacks had begun returning to their communities and farms following increased security surveillance and coordinated patrol operations.

It also rejected claims that insecurity had diminished Kwara South’s electoral value, insisting that the district remained a major support base for the APC during recent elections. The statement cited previous election results, claiming that Kwara South delivered strong electoral support for the ruling party in both the 2019 and 2023 general elections.

According to the group, narratives suggesting population decline and voter displacement were being promoted by political interests seeking to weaken the district ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.

The group disclosed that community-based security measures, including local patrols, intelligence gathering and early warning systems, had been strengthened across local government areas such as Irepodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Offa.

Kwara South is securing its land, protecting its people and restoring normal social and economic activities. We will not allow insecurity to be weaponised for political exclusion,” Oyin-Zubair added. The group called on residents and political stakeholders to avoid spreading unverified reports capable of creating fear and tension in the state.

The development comes amid growing political discussions surrounding zoning arrangements and succession politics ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Kwara State.