Saliu Mustapha to receive ABUAD Honourary Doctorate for Emir of Ilorin

The Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has named a chieftain of the All Progressives  Congress (APC) Mallam Saliu Mustapha to lead a high-profile delegation to the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, to receive an award of ‘Doctors of Laws’ on his behalf.

In a letter of a notification addressed to Aare Afe Babalola, the President and Chancellor of the University on Thursday,  Sulu-Gambari informed the University that the honour would be received on his behalf by Mustapha.

Mustapha is the new Turaki of Ilorin. He is also a frontline contender for the position of the National Chairman of the ruling APC.

In a related development, the acting vice-chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, has disclosed that the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi and Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe are the three other prominent Nigerians that would be honoured at the ceremony.

At a press conference on Monday marking the commencement of the 12th anniversary and 9th convocation ceremonies of the university, the VC said the conferment of the honorary degrees was in appreciation of the various ways the honourees have impacted the society.

She said Governor Zulum would be decorated with Doctor of Letters (LLD), honoris causa, Oba Ogunwusi and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, would be garlanded with Doctor of Letters (Honoris causa), while the Emir of Ilorin, would get the honorary title of Doctor of Laws.

“Honorary Degrees anywhere in the world are awarded on a highly selective basis to persons of proven integrity and character, who have made exceptional and distinguished lifetime contributions to the society,” she said.

Meanwhile, Olarinde said 125 out of the 1,306 undergraduates, bagged First Class honour while 109 will be decorated with postgraduate degrees across six Colleges, making a total of 415 graduates.