Attesting to Alhaji Hassan Salau’s political tenacity, grip and ruggeddness is about the simplest thing to do, as he is riddled with records of successes at polls, as he chaired the PDP in Kogi State, to victory for a span of almost nine years, making him unarguably the longest political party chairman in Nigeria, black Africa.
The true son of Oranre community in the South East of Yagba East LGA, is a trained Nurse and an accomplished active unionists in his early days, he is known to have his political antecedents in Okun axis from Kabba to Egbe, not excluding Lokoja, even before he came to lime light as a Special Adviser to the erstwhile Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, popularly referred to as Baba Oyoyo, who also rules as a Governor, for almost nine years before the Supreme Court terminated his stay on the account that, the re-run does not extend any tenure, since he won the election again after the court ruling that ordered re-run.
Married and still happily living with his dear wife, the tall Hassan Salau, a hard working mind, who later went into oil and gas as well as some estate practices, was asked to step down when former Governor Idris Ichalla Wada was on the project of getting set for a second term, base on what Wada and a few people “assumed” won’t let the ebiras vote for Wada, that is the begging of the collapse and extinction of the PDP, rather than restoring the 2010 laid off staffers of the LG in particular in Kogi state, that, simply heralded the topic …and PDP Died
Unfortunately, the man that produced two Governors, over eight senators and several Federal House of Reprentative members and constituent members of the state house of Assembly, cum unlimited number of appointees, had to take a bow and the PDP took a kiss for the canvass.
There is one thing, you can’t take away from Alhaji Hassan Salau, he is a wonderful crisis manager and one that can appeal to estranged politicians after primaries, this capabilities, and abilities to reach out, is indeed a strength, his fitness to study, read and predict the game of politics, also stands him out as a very understanding grass roots hanger.
On one of my visits with him to the Government house, he practically pleaded with the then Governor, who later paid with the loss of a 2nd term, as his appeal to allow him handle his 2nd term re-election bid before exiting the office as State Chairman fell on deaf ears, oh! the Engr. Samuel Ohotu project for State Chairman, a friend to H.E Wada and H.E Idris Ibrahim was already a sealed deal.
Alhaji Hassan Salau, that I usually call and still refer to as HS, is one that has helped several people, either to acquire education by paying their tuition/ project fees through schools or helping them get employed or assisting them politically to get appointed, some even benefits from his business platforms to remain in circulation, regarding their businesses and contracts with the state government, you may wish to ask where are they now?
No doubt, HS is not a name that is strange to Kogi politics and he is still as maverick as he use to be, if you must know one man that, knows how to use the paraphernalia of office, then it is HS,, he is one with many winning ideas and of course platforms to connect people together to deliver.
That, it is a disaster for the PDP to hold it’s centre since he left as state party chairman, is not a news, the evidence are glaring from the days of Captain Idris Wada’s failed 2nd term effort.
He, Hassan Salau remains connected to his boss, His Excellency Alhaji Idris Ibrahim, baba Oyoyo , who fewer people believes in then, when he indicated for Governorship, like the saying to laugh him to scorn goes, the carpenter the likes of Hassan Salau has seen far ahead what others did not and could not see, as he simply enlisted himself and others on Baba Oyoyo project, which later spread like wild fire in Kogi State.
The truth is that, many are waiting for Hassan Salau to come back to very active politics and be the link to many that are at the moment, politically silent or passive, these, are no doubt core delivering politicians.
Let me tell him here and openly to accept the formal invitation of His Excellency Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman as laid before him in Isanlu to come and join the APC.
– Dayo Onibiyo wrote from Ife-Olukotun, Yagba East LGA, Kogi State.
