Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
A former President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, weekend, said the purported ambition of his former Chief of Staff (CoS) and factional governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the Taminu Turaki leadership in Kwara State, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, was driven by personal ambition and not by principle.
Hassan had while unveiling his blue print said Saraki was no more his political leader and that he was determined to strengthen democratic governance in the PDP.
A statement issued in Ilorin by the former Senate President, by his Press Officer on Local Affairs, Mallam Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, stated that, Saraki had been his political leader for 25 years, describing the statement as evidence that Hassan benefited from the Saraki political structure throughout his career.
Saraki said, “Alhaji Hassan only chose to distance himself from the political group after failing to secure the PDP governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections where he participated and signed consensus arrangement for the emergence of Engineer Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the next year general election in the state.
He argued that Hassan remained loyal to Saraki while occupying several strategic political positions allegedly facilitated for him during the period.
“When Mr Hassan was appointed commissioner under my administration administration, I was his leader then.
“When he was appointed Chief of Staff to then Governor Saraki, Saraki was his leader. When he was appointed as Mandate Secretary in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a federal appointment influenced by Dr Saraki, he had no reason to leave the Saraki group,” he said.
Saraki recalled that Hassan had previously exited the Saraki political camp after an unsuccessful governorship bid in 2018 but later returned following the intervention of party elders and community leaders.
“Based on the elders’ intervention, Alhaji Hassan returned to the Saraki political fold and has since enjoyed all the respect due to an elder.
“His decision to contest in the last governorship primaries against advice from other elders and members in the group was clearly a solo effort and his exit now is merely a repeat of the stunt he has pulled before,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Hassan has denied allegations that he was working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that his participation in the ongoing political process was aimed at strengthening democratic values within the PDP.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin on Saturday, the PDP governorship candidate said his political aspirations should not be viewed as an act of rebellion against any individual or group within the party.
“My participation in the current political process should therefore not be interpreted as rebellion or hostility towards anyone. Rather, it reflects my commitment to ensuring that democratic values remain central to the future of our party,” Hassan said.
