The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of Kwara has assured the party members that primary elections will be held to produce candidates for the next general elections. The party also declared that necessary measures will be taken to guarantee a leveling playing field for all applicants.
Speaking during the visit of an aspiring governor, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, to the State PDP Secretariat in Ilorin, the president of the State PDP, Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, promised that the primary elections would be free, fair and credible.
The president of the party, a former president of the State Assembly Chamber, urged the applicants who seek nominations to collaborate instead of competing, emphasizing the need to work towards the common goal of making Kwara a state controlled by PDP by 2027.
While noting that Alhaji Ladi Hassan played a fundamental role in the electoral success of the party in 2002 and then served in the Bukola Saraki administration, which delivered dividends of democracy throughout the state, Mohammed described the former chief of cabinet as a true man of the party.
Mohammed also described the visit of the candidate for governor as highly commendable, noting that Hassan was the first to make the Secretariat of State his first port of scale.
In addition, he urged the people of the State to participate in the continuous registration of the online membership of the party and emphasized the need for applicants to consider the contest as a family issue.
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“At the end of the day, only one of you will get the nomination to governor, and we must all work together during the general elections,” he said.
Also speaking, the president of the party at Kwara South, Chief Bisi Fakayode, described Alhaji Ladi Hassan as an experienced politician who knows the right thing.
“Everyone will attest that this is the first time I will join others to welcome an applicant. I am physically here due to the singularity of the candidacy of the Hon. Ladi Hassan. It is not necessary to tell him what to do.
“Many candidates are doing their own without recognizing party officials, but began with a prayer service and is now here. It is commendable,” he said.
Along the same lines, the state professional, Mr. Olusegun Adewara, said that Alhaji Ladi Hassan has the required qualities of a good leader.
“Personally I have a good relationship with you. I see you as a father figure and a model to follow. You have all the quality necessary to lead a multilingual and multilingual state like Kwara,” he said.
In his comments, the governor's candidate, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, a former chief of cabinet, the government's house, said that, as a faithful man of the party, he deliberately chose the PDP Secretariat as their first point of contact because party officials deserve respect.
“We are delighted to be here to be in front of you and inform you about my decision to join the governor's career. The party is supreme. In politics, we must respect the officials and leaders of the party.
“If the party is not supreme or if we do not respect the leadership of the party, there will be chaos. That is why our Constitution does not allow independent candidates: it must go through a part to guarantee an organized system. I am happy to be here before today. I, Oladimeji Aliu Hassan, by Mogaji Geri Ward in Ilorin West West Local Government, I have decided to my PDP
“Until now, we have not visited anywhere. You may have heard that Ladi and his team are doing one thing or another policy, but that is not true. All we have done is to gather our team and organize a prayer service for spiritual orientation. This visit marks our first political activity, a sign of respect for the party,” he said.
Alhaji Ladi Hassan, who described himself as a family face, added that he is completely qualified and will remain accessible to all if he chose governor.
“I am a familiar face. There is almost no one in PDP or the Saraki group that I do not know. I am not a stranger; I know practically everyone. It is one of the reasons I have presented. If I have the opportunity and almighty Allah will do it, everyone will enjoy the dividends of democracy,” he said.
“My interest in the party, in the PDP, and in the Saraki dynasty it has no comparison. I pursue this with passion. I will always defend the group and the image of its leader. That is why I am offering to serve the state of Kwara, but cannot do it without a platform. That platform is the PDP and in the state of Kwara, the PDP is synonymous with the Saraki dynasty.”
He added that he runs for the governor to fight poverty and bring a positive change to the State, stating that the Bukola Saraki administration remains the best since the return to democracy in 1999.
He promised to fight poverty through agricultural development if he was chosen.
“I want to tell you our party members that from democracy returned in 1999, no administration has done as much as the administration of Bukola Saraki from 2003 to 2011. I am proud to have been part of that team. I gave the best to guarantee its success. I think that if someone like me, who was deeply involved in that administration, presents the results and obtains the nomination, the public confidence in Saraki of that time will help us deeply.