[3] Ali's political career started as a special assistant to the then Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, in 2005.

[4] He moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013 and was appointed a member of the Governing Council of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies in 2012.

Under the APC, he contested and won a seat to represent Ilorin South at the Kwara State House of Assembly during the 2015 Nigerian General Elections.

During the gubernatorial primaries of the same year in which he fully participated, he had to step down from the contest to maintain party cohesion, even as he was the candidate to beat.

He studied law at the Bayero University, Kano where he clinched the Chief Justice of Nigeria Prize for the Best Graduating Student in 1988.

The case was about unconsented experimentation of a new drug (trovan) on several children in Kano, Nigeria resulting in 11 accountable deaths and other forms of disabilities.

Abdullahi v Pfizer has become a celebrated case and has re-focused the world's attention on big pharma's penchant for unconsented drug trials in developing countries.

Ali was also a prominent member of the famed Committee on Fuel Subsidy Scam, chaired by Hon Farouk Lawan.

[19] The Committee's report prepared the grounds for indictment, prosecution and conviction of notable persons and companies involved in the scandal.

[20] Many of his legislative activities, such as motions, comments attracted front-page coverage in national newspapers and television shows and discussions.

[21]  The Assembly was the first to debate and pas the constitutional amendment dubbed the Not-too-young-to-rule Bill, meant to reduce the age limit for running for elective offices in Nigeria.

At the same time, he demonstrated commitment to upholding the principle of power separation, resisting overtures of the executive in appropriate circumstances, and always deferring to the Constitution of Nigeria even where situations warranted wider legislative-executive confrontation.

Remarkable activities of the Assembly included: Being the first Kwara State House of Assembly in the legislative history of Kwara State to introduce and pass private member's bills, such as The Community Health Insurance Scheme Law 2017[24]  and People With Disabilities Law 2017; placing an embargo on the imposition of additional taxes and levies; accordingly, an Executive Bill, the Kwara State Public Infrastructure Maintenance Levy Bill, 2016 was negatived;[25] budget performance witnessed an incremental rise for the first time in several years, recording an unprecedented 68% in 2016;[26] after neglect for over ten years and the loss of lives of thousands of Nigerians along the notorious Jebba—Ilorin Federal Highway,[27] he convinced the neighbouring Niger State House of Assembly to hold a symbolic joint session with the Kwara State House of Assembly at the most dangerous spot of the Highway, where the two Assemblies passed resolutions calling on the Federal Ministry of Works to prioritise the reconstruction of the Highway and insert its funding in the year's ongoing federal budget.

He achieved progress in decongesting correctional centres in Kwara State and banned lay police officers from prosecuting criminal matters in any court.