Celebrating the life and achievements of Alhaji LAK Jimoh, a distinguished Political Scientist and Historian of Ilorin, on his 85th birthday

He is a reservoir of knowledge from whom we can tap to fix our broken records.

By: Hassan Saliu

Every society has its custodians who spend their time and energy keeping records of significant events. Some receive sponsorship to do that, while others do so voluntarily, using the little they have. Their interest, in most cases, is to defend their roots. Sometimes, people misunderstand them based on the storylines they follow, given the facts available to them. On other occasions, their efforts are noted and appreciated by others for the significant tasks they are performing through their event records.

Alhaji LAK Jimoh is one of the record keepers in Ilorin. He was born on 26 November 1940. His progenitor had relocated to Ilorin during the era of Emir Momoh and allocated a parcel of land in Ile Okubiyi, Okekere quarters, Ajikobi ward, Ilorin, for settlement after arriving in Ilorin and staying at Adabata for a while, from the village of Ladabu, a few kilometres away from Lanwa in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. Emir Momoh was a friend of his great-great-grandfather who instructed the Balogun Ajikobi to find a base for the family. Little surprise, he provided them a base at Ile Okubiyi after the family had heeded the advice of Emir Momoh to relocate to Ilorin.

LAK, the acronym by which he is well-known among his peers, had his elementary education in Calabar and later attended the University of Lagos, from where he read Political Science. How about his connection to the Mansakore quarters? His mother was from there, and she moved to Mansakore after her husband’s death. LAK has consequently adopted the place as his base.

He is one of the legends in Ilorin who still lives. He was a public administrator who joined the Kwara State public service in 1971 as a cabinet officer. He served in Lagos and some other parts of the larger Kwara State before retiring from public service in 1998 as Administrative Secretary at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM). A tranquil person with rich historical records about Ilorin. His book: Ilorin: The Journey So Far, is as relevant today as when it first appeared in 1987. He is one of the political scientists with whom this author always joked that he read his political science at UNILAG during the Cold War era. He headed the flagship union in Ilorin, the Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union (IDPU), later known as the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), from 1984 to 1988, and made an impact. This development kept him in the saddle continuously for four years. He had previously served as the Union’s General Secretary between 1980 and 1982.

Alhaji LAK has devoted his time to playing politics afterwards. At some point, he was a prominent member of the Saraki group. On its platform, he sought to be the Governor of Kwara State. To make this possible, his political allies asked him to join the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP). However, the vagaries of Nigerian politics showed their face when he was left alone in the political gambit. His political family promoted someone else’s political ambition at his expense. The same forces also dampened that person’s ambition for the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) candidate, Chief C. O. Adebayo. Despite things not working in his favour, he remained with his political family until much later, when, with others, he led another political earthquake in Kwara State in 1998, which brought the prevailing political order in the state. It is not easy to write the history of politics in the state, before and even now, without making a big space for Alhaji LAK Jimoh.

His house is like a mecca that people flock to for consultations on political matters, including those in opposing camps. Listening to him is so enriching because of the penetrating insights he brings to analysing issues with rich historical recollections. People like him would have been sustained by his community if he had come from another environment, thanks to the historical records he keeps. This author once charged him to update his book on Ilorin, which I understand has been done to accommodate recent events. The updated copy has not been shared with the writer to determine whether the author incorporated the appeal into the new edition.

Baba LAK Jimoh, the author of “Oto ge mantra”, was an ardent follower of Baba Saraki, who was fond of making a distinction between his era in politics and the period after the death of Dr. Olusola Saraki. This development explains why he realigned with other forces to wage the 2019 political battle that heralded the current era in Kwara State. Is he satisfied with the change? This author would not know about that, but people have told the writer he harbours some reservations. He remains an APC member, as far as the available records show, and wishes our politicians would do things differently. He shares his time equally, devoting his energy to politics and community services. He remains an optimist who expects things to change with the state’s politics. Alhaji LAK Jimoh is a notable community leader with an immense capacity to cater to the needs of the people. He is not a money bag, but he is ever ready to render support to those who approach him for one favour or another. He related well with General Abdullahi Adangba, through whom he assisted in finding jobs for numerous indigenes of the Ilorin Emirate. A look at the records shows that they covered many sectors and government agencies, without noise. He was fond of compiling and forwarding the numerous requests to the General, who responded to them expeditiously.

There is another aspect of his community service that he handles on his own. As a man who has shunned living in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), he is easily within reach of the people he offers sundry help to. He has never disappointed, as sometimes he stretches himself to be of help. The provision of sallah rams and other forms of support to people in need defined his philanthropy, demonstrating the breadth of his support. I also learnt that he has been responsible for paying school fees for indigent students who have approached him for help. Although not a Mallam in the traditional sense, he is a notable figure who has supported the construction of mosques around Ilorin, the Masankore mosque being the most significant.

At a more personal level, he is tolerant of me, allowing the author to crack jokes with him despite the age difference. Two of these are essential on this occasion. This writer would always address him as a political scientist of the old order. Two, I am fond of telling him that, as my senior in the Emir’s palace, his failure to hand over to me properly has hindered my effective functioning there. On this, he would respond that there is no need for any handover note, as I have already integrated into the palace.

Both of us served on the Erin-Ile-Offa boundary dispute committee established by the Kwara State Government in 2021. His contributions to the committee’s work were valuable. The platform provided yet another opportunity for me to crack jokes with him and the Chairman, Chief C.O. Adebayo, both of whom I referred to as political adversaries who once belonged to different parties and contested for Governorship in 1983. On this, the Chairman would say, ”Ore niwa, ao ja.” (We are friends). He would end it by saying with hearty laughter: ”Prof., kosi eyi ti okan o nibe, ore niwa.” (It is not your problem, we are friends). Whenever I was getting worried as Secretary about our committee report on the Erin-Ile-Offa boundary dispute, Alhaji LAK would calm me down and assure me that the committee would eventually have the opportunity to present it to the state government at the appropriate time. He remains my adviser, whom I consult from time to time on official and domestic matters. This writer values his advice because it is down-to-earth. On one occasion, he said to me, “Prof. Saliu, you are too big to be struggling to be VC of KWASU. If people need you, they will come to you to head the University.’’

Alhaji LAK once served as the Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council. From the report reaching me from there, he discharged his duties creditably when he was in the saddle. A few years ago, the Kwara State government, under Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq, appointed him as the state Amirul Hajj, a role he fulfilled with fairness and respect for the pilgrims.

There are some lessons to learn from his life. Sharing a few of them are relevant at this point:

He is a defender of Ilorin’s interests. Not too long ago, he was unhappy that none of us in the Ilorin Emirate, except one, corrected the false narratives about Ilorin by one Lasisi of the Tribune stable.

He is not a money man, yet he assists people in need. One does not need to be a deep-pocket to show human kindness.

He has challenged our historians to rise to the occasion by telling our story. If he could do that as a political scientist, what are the historians among us waiting for?

He is ever ready to stretch himself to find solutions to people’s needs, including reaching out to those who can help out.

He has good recollections about Kwara State and Ilorin Emirate in particular, which we are not tapping into. Unfortunately, Baba LAK is not growing younger.

He does his things quietly, including helping others.

He exhibits a high level of political sagacity and strategising that the younger politicians are not availing themselves of, perhaps informed by the craze for materialism.

He is always warm to everyone, including his political adversaries. He gives genuine advice to all.

He is a community person who is ever ready to play his part in community services.

He has an unlimited endurance level, even in pain. He always hides his pain from others.

He is, no doubt, worried about the essence of politics being played in the Ilorin Emirate as well as state-wide. He desires that things will eventually change.

He is one of the Ilorin Emirate elders who is generally well-accepted by all because of his calmness and fairness.

He is ever forgiving and also seeks forgiveness from others. One notable politician sought his forgiveness before he died for past political activities.

He is a good family man whom we can emulate.

He is a reservoir of knowledge from whom we can tap to fix our broken records.

He is not so much disturbed about betrayals of people he has helped who have turned coat, avoiding him as much as possible.

At this point, what remains for this author to say in this tribute is happy birthday to Alhaji LAK Jimoh, who recently turned 85. His life offers lessons for all. His candour, calmness, and readiness to assist are legendary. That is essential, LAK Jimoh, for all of us.

Happy birthday to you, Baba LAK Jimoh!

Prof. Hassan A. Saliu, is of Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin.

29 November 2025.