A group, Concerned Nigerians for Growth and Development, has thrown its weight behind one of the aspirants for the national chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Malam Saliu Mustapha.
Addressing journalists Friday in Abuja, the group’s national coordinator, Uche Nwachukwu, said looking at Mustapha’s credentials, they were certain that he had the wherewithal to steer the ship of the ruling party without bitterness.
Nwachukwu said, “We believe thatMalam Saliu Mustapha, the Turakin Ilorin, has the right mix of experience, network and quality ideas which he can deploy to reposition the APC.
“He is a development consultant, business mogul, philanthropist and a consummate politician of over two decades. Born in Kaduna, he attended Bartholomew Primary School in Zaria and Command Secondary School Kaduna. He holds a degree in Mineral Resources Engineering from the Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna.
“His political mentorship began at an early age when he became the national publicity secretary of the People Liberation Party (PLP) under the leadership of Dr. Ezekiel Ezeogwu. He also served as the first national publicity secretary of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC).”
According to the national coordinator, Malam Mustapha’s belief in purposeful and progressive leadership puts him at different times on a similar ideological path to Chief Alexis Aniello, Chief Olu Falae, Alhaji Balarebe Musa and President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Nwachukwu added that, “Between 2005 and 2008, Mustapha served as the national organising secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP). And in 2011, he was unanimously elected as the deputy chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) under the leadership of Prince Tony Mommoh as national chairman and President Muhammadu Buhari as the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.
“In 2018, he contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship election in his home state of Kwara. Since then, he has remained true to the progressive ideology as a stakeholder of the APC both in his home state and at the national level. Through his Foundation, the Saliu Mustapha Foundation, he continues to impact the lives of young people, the aged, women and children.”
The group stated further that “in 2021, in recognition of his contributions to the development of the state, he emerged as the new Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, a traditional title conferred on eminent sons of the Emirate by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari.”
