Benjamin Yisa, a former Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, says Malam Saliu Mustapha is the state’s “unity candidate” as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
He stressed that if elected, Mustapha would solidify the party on the strength of his goodwill amongst the tendencies.
Benjamin, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, said Mustapha enjoys the blessings of all tendencies in the APC in Kwara State.
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, University of Ilorin chapter on Tuesday.
He said Mustapha has a history of a cordial relationship with virtually all major stakeholders of the party, starting with Governor 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 Senator Gbemisola Saraki, among others also support Mustapha’s aspiration.
Benjamin said: “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 cuts 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.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 49-year-old Mustapha is said to be the youngest of the aspirants vying for the position of the APC national chairman, with experience as a former National Deputy Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change.
He is a long standing ally of President Muhammadu Buhari right from the latter’s days in the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party through to the CPC.
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