Saliu Mustapha and Political Influence
By AbdurRaheem Sa’ad Dembo, mnipr
I was not in my regular station on Monday and after having a busy day at work, I decided to switch on my data in the evening. It was not as if my data had not been active that day but intermittently as a result of homongous work on my table.
As I was browsing I came across a video of Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele describing senator Saliu Mustapha as an influential first time Senator. He recalled how Senator Saliu Mustapha became the chairman of about 73 senators who are first timers in the Senate ahead of Senate Presidential election.
Here is the exact words of Senate leader .
“The elected senators plus he himself 109 .73 or so of those senators are first time senators , meaning that the ranking senators were not in a position to determine who will be the president of the Senate. We were held by jugular by the new senators and they formed their own forum , and chose distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha as the Chairman of First Time Senators Forum . We tried to frighten him by letting him know that our rules did not recognize any forum like that and Senator Mustapha will say Okay on the day of election, we will know what the rules will do. So we were forced to sit down with him . He did not really negotiate for himself, he negotiated for other First Time Senators . So it is not by accident that Senator Saliu Mustapha , a First Timer was appointed as Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Production . That was exactly what he wanted and what he negotiated for and he made appointment from Kwara very total meaning that all three senators from Kwara ended up being chairmen.”
The Senate leader was a guest lecturer at 2024 Public Lecture on “Constitutional Amendments and the Political Dynamics of State Policing in Nigeria”
The event was organized by the Department of Political Science in conjunction with the Institute for Legislative Studies at the University of Ilorin on Monday, 1st July, 2024
Essentially, from the revelation of the Senate leader it is obvious that Senator Saliu Mustapha is a politician of high repute and it is also imperative to affirm that he is a politician who knows his onion.In politics one don’t just attain a position by accident or coincidence one must have worked hard to achieve such a feat. The words of Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele attested to that.
Senator Mustapha is a man of few words but he is pragmatic with high sense of political precision.You can’t imitate anyone but when you have robust ideas and consult widely,one would make a head way not only in the political realm but the entire human endeavours.Turaki of Ilorin is always ahead of the game because of his experience in the Nigerian political landscape. He was a member of ANPP and National Vice Chairman of defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. He was part of the active leaders in the merger that formed APC in 2014 .He may be young but he has the experience and implements to navigate across ocean of political interest, just as he did ahead of the appointment of key principal officers of the 10th Senate.
What Senate Leader Statement means for Saliu Mustapha
Firstly, it has further confirmed his political sagacity. Secondly, it authenticates the selflessness of senator Saliu Mustapha.He didn’t only negotiate for himself but also for other first time senators Thirdly, It has affirmed his political dexterity towards achieving success.
Bamidele’s account has exposed the leadership quality embedded in Senator Saliu Mustapha. A leader does not think for himself alone but also for others. Followers can’t be subservient to a leader unless he has also ran an errand for them. You don’t coerce people to believe in you and follow you, it is your antecedents that would prompt them to do so.
Turaki of Ilorin is not politically naive going by Senator Bamidele’s account.They were trying to frighten him but he maintained his equilibrium
It has also uncovered Saliu Mustapha’s growing influence in the National Assembly, hence it is expected that Turaki of Ilorin will leverage on that by facilitating federal presence that would engender prosperity for the good people of Kwara Central and the Nation at large.
Senate leader’s statement also confirmed that Senator Saliu Mustapha is the most influential first time Senator in the 10th Senate.
In the last one year, Senator Mustapha has performed creditably well as a senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the 10th Senate, my recent piece “Reflections on Senator Saliu Mustapha’s one year in Office” chronicles some of his achievements so far.
I wish him continued success and Allah’s guidance in his quest to making life better for the less privileged.
