Generational Change: Can Saliu Mustapha Break the Jinx

Chuks Okocha in this report looks at the prospects of having a young man as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This could also mean putting forward young men for the presidency in 2023

One common phenomenon among the leadership of the major political parties in Nigeria is that their national chairmen are usually in their late sixties or in their seventies. Will there be a difference at the coming National Convention of the APC? Will APC make a difference by picking a Chairman in his fifties?

This explains why the aspiration of Mallam Saliu Mustapha to become the next National Chairman of APC should not raise any eye brow. He has paid his dues in the administration of political parties, starting with the All Peoples Party (APP) in 1999 to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003.

Mustapha was among those with President Muhammadu Buhari when they formed the Congress for Progressive Change ((CPC) and to the legacy party, the APC. In these sojourn in the political terrain, he held various positions getting to Deputy National Chairman of the APC.

The big question is who is Saliu Mustapha? Mallam Saliu Mustapha was born on 25th September 1972 to the humble family of Alhaji Issa Mustapha, a well-respected indigene of Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State.

Mustapha is an extremely competent politician driven by a belief in the need for purposeful and progressive leadership. For him, the basic concept of social justice must be at the core of all vital decision making that will ultimately impact on the lives of the people.

A highly principled man and undeniable integrity, his discipline and intuitive sense of equity, ethics and good governance saw him rising rapidly to the top of politics in addition to significant accomplishments in other sectors. Propelled by an innate sense of duty and responsibility, it was only natural that this exceptional and worthy son of Kwara State would ultimately live a life exemplified by service and dedication to others.

After many years as a student on the political terrain under the outstanding guidance of none other than His Excellency President Mahammadu Buhari, Mallam Mustapha formally embarked on public service when as an idealistic young man, he served as an aide to the Senior Special Adviser to President Obasanjo on Intra Party from 2001-2002. By 2002 he was already the protem National Publicity Secretary of the Progressive Liberation Party (PLP). In 2003, he became the First National Chairman of Progressive Action Congress (PAC); a remarkable feat in such a short time. In addition, he was a highly respected and valued member of The Buhari Organization (TBO) as well as a member of the ANPP Presidential Campaign in 2003 for the then General Muhammadu Buhari.

In 2005, Mustapha was appointed the Organizing Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP). He also played an active role in ANPP as an aide to Buhari during his Presidential election campaign in 2007. Mustapha served as a National Ex-Officio of the Congress for Progressive Change from where he rose impressively to the position of Deputy National Chairman of the CPC 2010

As a result of his deep passion and determination to support growth and positive change in Nigeria, Mustapha naturally became a Chieftain of the APC, following the merger of numerous political parties of which his party the CPC was a major player. It is here that he continues to contribute significantly by promoting policies and programmes of the APC both at the state and federal levels.

Notwithstanding his level of exposure, Mustapha’s heart remains firmly with his people and that bond is what continually guides his decision making. His trajectory is at all times intrinsically intertwined with the growth of his community and his personal success is only meaningful where it involves the upliftment of his people.

With an easy and amiable mien, this effortlessly charismatic politician is a popular and charming individual well-loved wherever he goes.

His reputation for honesty, patience, humility and generosity precedes him. His is a life characterised by discipline and values as well as a firm and unflinching belief in the paramount importance of service to humanity. A man of uncommon empathy, Mallam Mustapha is a philanthropist per excellence, whose humanitarian gestures and antecedents traverse Ilorin, his immediate community, across the entirety of Kwara State where he continues to positively impact lives.

This, he has achieved through community interventions like educational and health programmes, trickling all the way down to the provision of basic amenities, as well as infrastructural development and direct financial assistance where necessary. The informal sector is not left out as countless groups of artisans and petty traders are massively supported by Mustapha to reinforce and bolster their businesses.

He is also widely respected as a youth mentor. Without fanfare, he has quietly initiated many noteworthy and commendable programmes designed to guide, encourage and harness the full potential of young people whose contributions he recognises as being paramount to the life blood of the nation.

Mallam Mustapha’s intuitive understanding of the significance of education in the economic and social development of our society led to his special interest and focus on the need for a massive and empowering boost to our educational sector. To this end, he has invested a great deal of time, energy and personal resources in supporting this sector, including but not limited to partnering with the state government in this regard.

He commendably seeks to change the narrative by placing special emphasis on the girl child who has historically been at a disadvantage. He is mindful of the fact that funding from the states and the federal government alone cannot adequately provide the requisite quality and standard of education and that the private option is not within reach for a majority of the less privileged. Mallam Mustapha firmly believes that the challenges typically arising from inadequacies in the health, socio- economic and socio-political spheres of our lives can be greatly curtailed with the provision of adequate funding and the effective monitoring such funding. Indeed, without the requisite reforms in the educational sector, no one can provide or guarantee any appreciable sustainable development in any sector no matter how well intentioned.

He remains resolutely determined to give the educational sector the much needed assistance. This has most recently been reflected in the laudable and progressive interventions of the Saliu Mustapha Foundation. A quick perusal of the wide ranging charitable projects and activities include but are not limited to the following: In pursuance of his pledge, the Foundation has since 2012 organised tutorials and periodically purchased JAMB forms for intending candidates. The Foundation has also made countless monetary donations to petty business traders across the state to grow and support their businesses.

Today, some of them have reciprocated by now equally empowering others. In the same vein, the foundation built bore holes in communities across the state. All these projects were deliberate acts borne of the founder’s belief that community development is indeed a collective responsibility.

In April 2018, Mustapha donated a considerable sum of money towards the construction of a block of classrooms for a reputable and respected Islamic scholar. He also awarded cash scholarships to one hundred and fifty final year students in tertiary institutions across Kwara State and gave charity to widows and elderly women in May 2018.

A longtime champion of women’s rights, he is also a strong proponent of affirmative action, as well as an advocate for supporting rural women through small and medium grants.
In June 2018, Mustapha, a devout Muslim likewise kindly donated a generous amount to Division One of the Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria in his customary show of support for the Islamic community.

Again in August 2018, due to his love of the pursuit of knowledge, Mustapha, a renowned philanthropist gave cash prizes to the deserving participants comprising of students, teachers as well as the schools who emerged winners at the first ever English Language and Mathematics Competition in Kwara State, organized by the Saliu Mustapha Foundation.

Likewise in celebration of the first ever ceremonial Durbar in the Ilorin Emirate, Mustapha donated two pure white thoroughbred horses to support the festival which took place in August 2018. They were presented as a mark of respect to His Royal Father, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari.

He also donated handsomely to the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association towards its recently commissioned ICT Center. The Kwara State Association of Persons With disabilities has also equally benefited from his charitable largesse. He has pledged to always encourage and uplift them as best as he can.

Mustapha is an unquestionably fine politician with a strong base at the grassroots to lean on. A simple and unassuming man, he remains resolutely about bringing succour to his people. His humanitarian efforts give us a clear insight into the strong and impressive empathy he feels for his people.

Mustapha remains that rare and enigmatic breed of politician that Kwara State needs at this critical moment in its history in order to forge a war against perennial underdevelopment, salvage and secure the future for generations yet unborn. He is an inspirational figure, whose credentials and record of service to date are untarnished and exemplary. Indeed, he brings a commensurate level of energy and commitment to all his endeavours, notwithstanding any obstacles or complications that may arise.

A fervent believer in the importance of maintaining traditional and religious family values, Mallam Mustapha speaks a variety of Nigerian languages fluently – Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Okun.