Saliu Mustapha: The insider with deep roots

Read full report here: The show-off race: How Kwara big guys tried to outplay one another during APC convention in Abuja

Saliu Mustapha is the definition of an insider who has long understood how power moves.

Long before he became a household name in Kwara politics, he was already operating within the national structure. Not many knew, or paid attention to the fact, that the Turaki of Ilorin was among those who appended their signatures to the formation of the APC in 2014. As a member of the CPC bloc under the Buhari tendency, he was part of the original builders of the party. He was not an outsider trying to break in, he has always been in the room.

During the years of Muhammadu Buhari, he remained relatively quiet in public view, but not absent from power. Those who understand Abuja politics knew he maintained strong ties within the northern political establishment and business elite, relationships built over decades, not election cycles.

His emergence as senator for Kwara Central in 2023 did not happen by chance. Within Kwara, there were clear preferences and alignments, and many would argue he was not the first choice of the state leadership. Yet, when it mattered most, pressure from Abuja and his network of influence proved decisive. He secured the ticket and went on to win the seat.

That moment told a bigger story, that his strength does not solely lie in local popularity, but in his ability to activate connections when it counts.

Once in the Senate, he wasted no time reasserting that influence. In the battle for the Senate Presidency, he was not just a participant, he was visibly aligned with the winning camp. Among 109 senators, his positioning stood out. He, in fact, was the only one that rode with the new Senate President on his first day in office. Being consistently seen around the eventual leadership was not by chance, it was a signal of access and trust within one of the most powerful arms of government.

At the convention, that same advantage was on full display. He moved with ease among the political elite, engaging, observing, and reinforcing relationships that have been years in the making. His supporters complemented that quiet strength with loud visibility, from branded buses moving across Abuja to banners that ensured his name stayed in circulation.

His big buses were parading Abuja, and everyone at the convention must recall seeing those buses. One detail, however, stood out more than the colourful banners of him and the president plastered on the buses. It is unusual for anyone to have that kind of political poster without the picture of the governor on it. Not in Kwara. Even during their long, silent battle, the governor’s picture was on his empowerment banners. Now that the ticket is just weeks away from being decided, what has changed?

For Mustapha, Abuja is not a new battleground, it is familiar territory. He understands its language, its timing, and its unwritten rules.

And if, as many believe, the governorship ticket will again be heavily influenced by Abuja, then he is not just in the race, he is standing on very solid ground.