2027: Moshood Bakare Pledges Unity, Youth Empowerment, Infrastructure for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly and PDP Candidate for the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency, Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Bakare, has reaffirmed his commitment to the Igbomina people, calling for unity and collective interest to remain at the heart of ongoing political discussions.

Bakare, in a message addressed to Omo Ibile Igbomina leaders, elders and stakeholders, said the unity of the people must take precedence over individual political interests, stressing that “Isokan” remained critical to achieving meaningful development across Igbomina land.

The former lawmaker also highlighted his ancestral ties to Igbomina, saying his grandfather’s lineage originated from Adanla and Offarese in the Irese area of Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area, while his maternal grandmother hailed from the Kawomalu family of Oke-Ode.

“I am a full-breed Igbomina and I carry this heritage with immense pride,” Bakare said, while emphasising that his aspiration to represent the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun constituency was driven by a deep understanding of the people and their aspirations.

Bakare, who served in the Kwara State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2019, said his experience in governance was built not only through formal education but also through years of practical legislative and executive responsibilities.

He disclosed that his educational background included Computer Science studies at Kwara State Polytechnic and the University of Ilorin, followed by an MBA in Finance from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

According to him, he also undertook executive and leadership programmes at institutions including Manchester Business School and Wolverhampton University in the United Kingdom, as well as legislative and democratic studies at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies.

Before his political career, Bakare said he spent almost five years in the banking sector, managing branch operations in Igbaja and Aiyedun, where he contributed to efforts aimed at supporting the local economy.

He later served as Principal Private Secretary and Personal Assistant to former Kwara State Governor, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, during which period he said he participated in administrative processes surrounding several major state initiatives, including the establishment of Kwara State University.

As a member of the state legislature, Bakare said he chaired important committees including Works and Transport, Public Administration, and Finance and Appropriation.

He particularly recalled his role in the development of the tax reform framework that led to the establishment of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS.

Bakare claimed that the reform contributed to a significant increase in the state’s internally generated revenue, from about N400 million monthly to N2.1 billion.

Beyond legislation and oversight, the former lawmaker said his representation focused on projects and interventions that directly affected the lives of his constituents.

He listed the rehabilitation of the Cottage Hospital in Igbaja, construction of link roads, provision of motorised boreholes, employment opportunities for youths, scholarships, JAMB registration support, educational materials and various empowerment initiatives among the interventions he facilitated during his tenure.

Looking ahead to 2027, Bakare said his ambition to represent Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun in the National Assembly was anchored on what he described as a practical development agenda designed to connect legislative representation with the everyday needs of the people.

He identified four major areas of focus: strengthening Igbomina unity, youth empowerment and the digital economy, infrastructure and economic renewal, and communal security and heritage preservation.

Under his proposed youth empowerment programme, Bakare said he would pursue the establishment of technology hubs, vocational centres and entrepreneurship funding opportunities across the three local government areas.

On infrastructure, he promised to advocate for federal intervention in inter-community roads linking agrarian communities to major commercial centres, while supporting access to microcredit and agricultural interventions for farmers and traders.

He also proposed the creation of a non-partisan advisory council involving Igbomina leaders to ensure that legislative priorities are informed by the actual needs of communities.

On security, Bakare said he would work with traditional institutions, community security structures and local stakeholders to strengthen security arrangements, particularly in border communities.

The candidate urged Igbomina leaders and stakeholders to remain united despite political differences, stressing that the collective interest of the people should remain the ultimate priority.

“Let us remain united in placing Igbomina first,” he said.

Bakare, who hails from Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area, ended the message with his political slogan, “IRORUNDE.”