My Happy Moments In Politics- Moshood Bakare

Hon Moshood Bakare, who is in his early 50s, had his reputations preceding him.

As a young man, he was lucky to have enjoyed the privilege of being a person of influence in the corridors of power from 2003 to 2019, and unlike many young people will do these days, for the16 consecutive years, his name was never mentioned in the media in connection with struggle for supremacy or abuse of power in Kwara State.

He operated and worked behind the scenes.

In this interview with Team@orientactualmags.com, Hon Moshood Bakare , a former member of Kwara State House of Assembly, talked about Kwara State politics, what he may do ahead of the 2027 General Election and other issues.

Read On:

What were the factors that made you develop interest in politics and what have been your happy moments in politics?

 I will say becoming a politician was by God’s design; I started a career in politics through my boss like two decades ago.  Also, receiving calls from people thanking me for what I had done for them in the past which I cannot remember again have been my happy moments in politics because it makes me feel grateful to God that He has made it possible for me to impact people’s lives which is the essence of being human.

 We are expected to show empathy, kindness, and nurture relationships and when we incorporate these principles into our lives, we can create a more compassionate, inclusive, and harmonious world.

Iam really grateful to God.

 Have you ever thought of quitting politics? Why?

Yes, sometimes I feel like quitting if I can’t get what I want for my people, it makes me sad and it makes me feel unfulfilled.

I thank God that He has remained my source of strength.

You are one of the Kwara State PDP bigwigs, your party was voted out of power in 2019, do you think PDP is still popular in the State of Harmony?

 ⁠I strongly believe that the people of the state are missing our party and government because of inclusiveness and our approach to things that affect their lives.

The people of the state love us and they will continue to love us.

.  Are you worried that some important members of the Saraki political family where you are a principal stakeholder are leaving?

⁠Politics is a game of numbers, of course one will become worried when anyone leaves the party, because you want more people and not to lose people, however, politics is about interests.

 The only thing my boss, brother and mentor do tell me is that when people leave, it doesn’t make him happy because it’s like an  army officer leaving  the military, all the investments will be wasted, so, when people leave, you have to start all over again to groom a new set of people. But you can’t satisfy people, their needs are endless.

We thank God  however that we are loved by the people, God will continue to strengthen us , He is in control of  our affairs and once we remember this we carry on believing that He will never fail us.

How prepared is your party for the 2027 General Election?

PDP is well-prepared for the next general election, we are doing restructuring, and we are welcoming new young people to the party, you can see that in the composition of the State Working Committee, we have learned from the past and we are focusing on the future. 

We have had an uninterrupted democracy in the country for 26 years now, are we doing things right?

We are still working towards improving our democracy, it’s a process and I think we are on the right path but we have to improve on certain things, most importantly, we have to strengthen and reform our electoral system, we have to strengthen institutions and all arms of government because these are the backbones of any democracy. 

2027 is almost here, you are a former state lawmaker, do we expect to see campaign posters that will feature you as an aspirant?

Well, the first thing to say is that may God keep us alive in good health. Actually, people have been getting in touch with me ,persuading me to do this and that especially my constituency, people have been urging me to represent them at the federal level, I am still consulting and very soon, I will make a decision.

 Our people need quality representation, especially at the national level and I thank them for seeing some qualities they want in their ideal candidate in me.

To God be the glory.

You are known to be humble and easygoing, is it an innate quality or you learned it from someone?

 ⁠Naturally, I am a quiet person. I think I took that from my Dad, but politics, especially, being a lawmaker has brought me out of my shell. You have to get up to speak on the floor of the house and debate issues that affect your constituents which ordinarily I may not have done if I wasn’t a member of the parliament. While I was working with the governor, it had been behind the scenes.

I later got used to it and I ensured good and quality representation as a state lawmaker and if I have to do this at the national level, I have the qualities of a mature person and my constituents will enjoy dividends of democracy.

 You are philanthropist and you have touched many lives without making noise about it, what has been the driving force?

⁠One thing I have kept in mind is the fact that if I hadn’t gotten help from those who mentored me, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so, I need to help others as much as I can. I also need help for myself or my children; so, I must help people because apart from getting rewarded by God, you don’t know who can be of help in the future because everything is not about money. 

What factors do you consider before choosing your outfits?

Everyone deserves to look good, it’s appealing and it says who you are.

 What is your philosophy of life?

My philosophy of life is simple, we have no power to do anything except God has sanctioned it.

 Are there individuals that have affected your life positively that you will remain ever grateful to them?

 ⁠My parents are the first people that have impacted my life, I remember them every second and Iam always grateful to them and I do pray for them.  Dr  Abubakar Bukola Saraki is also absolutely an amazing person who has helped me to become who I am today, I will forever be grateful to him.

Can you remember any funny thing you did as a teenager?

(Laughs) There were many funny things I did but the funniest among all was turning down a love letter from an admirer 

Can you please tell us about yourself?

My name is Moshood Bakare. My parents  late Alhaji  Al -Hassan and late Alhaja Jaarat from Igbaja in Ifelodun Local government were easy-going people.

I attended schools and tertiary institutions within and outside the country-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you