A female governorship aspirant in Kwara State, Hon. Mahalia Aisha Ahman Pategi on Sunday broke down in tears amidst her declaration speech when she remembered her late sister, Zainab Ahman Pategi.

Remembrance of her sister she described as too dear to her, however, held the political gathering for minutes with associates and well-wishers praying for the repose of her soul.

Getting over hold of herself, Pategi, the former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, regretted that her sister was not alive to witness the day.

In her declaration in Ilorin, she promised to return the state to all against the present situation when only the few controls it.

She said: “Kwara belongs to us all not to a few; not to a select group; not to privilege, but to every farmer in the field, every market woman in Oja-Oba, every youth searching for opportunity and, to every child whose future depends on the decisions we make today.”

She said her journey has never been about titles but about service. “From the halls of governance to the grassroots of our communities, to building solutions that empower people through financial inclusion, education, and opportunity I have seen our strength.

“But I have also seen our struggles. My dear people of Kwara, We are not starting from zero. We are building on a foundation,” she explained.

She informed all that her thoughts allign with the Renewed Hope vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the vision focused on economic growth, national development, and inclusive prosperity.

“Here in Kwara State, we acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whose efforts have laid important foundations for growth, stability, and governance. And we recognize those who came before him, whose contributions helped shape the Kwara we know today.

“But my dear people, leadership is continuum, very generation is called
to build further, to do better, to go higher.

That is why I stand before you today, “not to compete with the past, but to build on it; not to divide, but to unite and advance. This is the next step for Kwara,” she declared.

She, however, listed: economic Empowerment and Jobs; Women at the Center; Youth Power and Innovation; Agriculture and Industrial Growth; Energy and Infrastructure and; Inclusion for All as her major focus if given the opportunity to govern the state, next year.

According to her: “we will empower our people not just with words, but with tools. From small businesses to large industries,
From farmers to digital entrepreneurs, we will create opportunities that put money in people’s hands.

On her second point, she said: “let me say this clearly: mo woman, no nation!
No woman, no Kwara. Women are not just participants in development, they are drivers of it.

“Our youths are not a problem to manage, they are a force to unleash. We will invest in skills, technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and innovation because when you build the youth, you build the nation,” she said.

On agriculture and industrial growth, she promised that her government will build a system where production meets opportunity. Farmers will not just farm, “they will prosper,” she said.

On Energy and Infrastructure, she said no economy grows in darkness, “we will prioritize electricity, infrastructure, and connectivity, because development must be felt not just spoken about.”

She assured that her mission is to ensure that every Kwaran is carried on along, saying: “This movement is for everyone: women, youths, people living with disabilities, the underserved and the forgotten.

Earlier, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Ezekiel Benjamin-Issa, Senior Special Assistant Media and Public Relations, Jerry Kolo and other stakeholders had in their submissions alluded to the credibility of Mahalia Aisha Ahman-Pategi, describing her as a woman of substance, timber and calibre.