Poverty Alleviation through Agriculture Will Be My priority If Elected Governor, Says Ladi Hassan  * Visits party Secretariat 

By Omowumi Omotosho

The former Chief of Staff to the governor and a long-serving member of the Kwara State People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Ladi Hassan on Tuesday made an official declaration of his 2027 governorship ambition.

Speaking at the Kwara State PDP Secretariat in Ilorin, before the Kwara PDP State working Committee which includes the Kwara PDP Chairman, Rt. Honourable Babatunde Mohammed, the party Secretary, Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode, PDP Kwara central Vice chairman, Alhaji Isiak Owolabi, PDP Kwara South Senatorial Chairman, Bisi Fakayode, the party’s treasurer, Gabriel Olagunju, kwara PDP Auditor, Alhaji Yusuf Abdulsalam, the youth leader, Alhaji Abdulmimini Muhammad, the Legal Adviser, Barrister Aborisade Michael, the financial secretary, Iforiti Kayode, organising secretary, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Oje, the woman leader Alhaja Segilola Ramat jimoh, Hassan, emphasized loyalty to party structure, respect for leadership, and commitment to the development of the state.

“We are delighted to be here today to stand in front of you and inform you of my decision to join the guber race. The party is supreme. We are in politics and we have to respect our party officials and the leaders.”

“If the party is not supreme or we do not respect the party leaders, there will be chaos. That is why our constitution does not give room for an independent candidate. You have to go through the party, so that we can have an organized system,” he declared.

Declaring his intention formally, he said: “I, Oladimeji Aliu Hassan of Mogaji Geri Ward in Ilorin West Local Government, have decided to throw my hat into the ring. I am joining the 2027 governorship race and I am seeking the PDP gubernatorial nomination.”

PDP state chairman, Hon. Babatunde Mohammed with Ladi Hassan 

Clarifying that his political activity had only just begun, he added:

“So far, we have not visited anywhere. You may have heard that Ladi and his team are doing this and that, but we have not done anything political. All we have done was to put our team together and organize a prayer service to seek spiritual guidance. That is the only thing we have done. So, the first political outing that we are having is to come before you as a way of showing respect to the party.”

Hassan emphasized his long-standing relationship with party members and history within the Saraki fold: “I am a familiar face to everyone here. There is hardly anyone in PDP or the Saraki group that I don’t know. I am not a stranger. I know virtually everybody, and it is one of the reasons I have put myself forward. If I have the opportunity and Almighty Allah says it is me, everybody will enjoy the dividends of democracy.”

He made clear that his candidacy was not born of personal ambition alone, but of deep commitment to the PDP and its legacy: “My interest in the party, my interest in PDP, my interest in the Saraki dynasty is unrivalled. I do all these with passion. Anything that will tarnish the image of our leader, the image of Saraki as a group, I will stand in defense of the group.”

“That is why I am putting myself forward to serve Kwara State. But you can’t serve Kwara State without having a platform, and that platform is PDP — and PDP in Kwara State is synonymous with the Saraki dynasty.”

The former Chief of Staff also pointed to the administration he once served in as a benchmark for governance in the state: “I want to use this opportunity to tell you and our party members here that since the advent of democracy in 1999, there is no administration that has done as much as the Bukola Saraki administration did between 2003 and 2011. I am proud to have been part of that team. I was very prominent in that administration and I put in my own little best to ensure its success.”

“I believe that if someone like me, who was part of that administration, comes forward and gets the nomination, the confidence that people had in Saraki at that time will help our party reclaim the state. Everyone knows that Dr. Saraki changed the face of the state.”

Outlining his vision, Hassan declared that poverty alleviation, especially through agriculture would be a top priority of his administration.

“I am seeking to become the governor of Kwara State to fight poverty and change things for the better in the state. If elected, we will focus on agriculture as a tool for economic transformation and empowerment,” he said.

Following Hassan’s declaration, the Kwara State PDP Chairman, Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, welcomed the aspirant warmly and assured him and others of a transparent internal process.

“Let me assure everyone here that there will be primary elections to produce candidates for the next General Election. We will take necessary measures to ensure a level playing field for all aspirants. The primaries will be free, fair and credible.”

Urging unity among aspirants, the chairman said: “I want to urge all aspirants to collaborate rather than compete. Our common goal is to make Kwara a PDP-controlled state in 2027. At the end of the day, only one of you will get the gubernatorial nomination, and we have to work together during the general election.”

Mohammed praised Hassan’s longstanding contributions to the party and his early show of respect.

“Ladi Hassan played a pivotal role in the party’s electoral success in 2002 and was later a member of the Bukola Saraki administration that delivered dividends of democracy across the state. He’s a true party man. It’s commendable that he’s the first gubernatorial aspirant to make the secretariat his first port of call,” he said.