APC Convention: Saliu Mustapha is Kwara’s unity candidate, says Ex-Speaker
A former Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly, Mr Benjamin Yisa, has said Malam Saliu Mustapha is the state’s ‘unity candidate’ as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Benjamin, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa, said Mustapha enjoys the blessings of all tendencies in the APC in Kwara.
He stressed that, if elected, Mustapha would solidify the party on the strength of his goodwill amongst the tendencies.
The former speaker stated this in Ilorin on the sideline of a Personality Public Lecture organised in Mustapha’s honour by the Postgraduate Students Association of Nigeria, Unilorin chapter, on Tuesday.
He said Mustapha has a history of a cordial relationship with virtually all major stakeholders of the party, starting with Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The former speaker also said that the Senators representing the three districts in the state and the two Ministers from the state, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, among others, also support Mustapha’s aspiration.
“The only reason why Mallam Saliu Mustapha is the only candidate contesting from Kwara state is because of his goodwill at home.
“He is not only loved by the community and traditional leadership of the state, which led to his elevation as the Turaki of Ilorin, he is also very well respected by the political class, especially within the progressive family.
“This is unlike other states in the North Central where there are multiple candidates from the same state. Niger and Nasarawa are ready examples.
“So, among all the contestants from the North Central, he is the only one with the most formidable state backing that cut across all interest blocks.
“This is why we are appealing to the President to pull his weight behind Mustapha, who incidentally has been his long time ally,”said Benjamin.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 49-year-old Mustapha is said to be the youngest of the aspirants vying for the position of the APC’s national chairmanship with experience as a former National Deputy Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC).
He is a long standing ally of Buhari right from the latter’s days in the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) through to the CPC. (NAN)
