Saliu Mustapha is a business mogul, philanthropist and a consummate politician of over two decades.
Born in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital some firty years ago, he attended St. Bartholomew Primary School. Zaria and Command Secondary School, Kaduna for his primary and secondary education respectively. He holds a degree in Mineral Resources Engineering from the Kaduna Polvtechnic, Kaduna.
Saliu was groomed at an early age to imbibe the core traditional and religious values of discipline, courage, honesty, piety and hardwork upon which the ancient city of Ilorin was built. He has continued to hold on to these values till date in a way that reflects in his daily living.
Core Values
Core Values
Mustapha was first mentored into politics at an early age by Dr Ezekiel Izuogu, foremost nationalist and former National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SP) and Dr. Sarah Jubril. a former Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values.
My Approach
His belief in purposeful and progressive leadership brought him at different times on the same ideological paths with the likes of Chief Alexis Anielo, Chief Olu Falae, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, and President Muhammadu Buhari.
This may inform why at a very youthful age, he became the National Publicity Secretary of the Progressive Liberation Party (PL.P) under the leadership of Dr Ezekiel Izuogu. He also served as the first National Publicity Secretary of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC), a now defunct political party.
Within the first few years of the Fourth Republic, Mustapha was named as the Special Assistant in the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-party Affairs between 2001 and 2002. He later became the first National Chairman of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC) from where he led a number of his allies to formally join the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (APP) in 2003.
From 2005 to 2008, Mustapha was the National Organizing Secretary of the opposition coalition, the Conference of Nigerian Political Party (GNPP). At that time, he was also one of the arrowheads of The Buhari Organisation (TBO). While in ANPP, he was a member of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in 2003 and 2007 as well as the kwara focal person/Campaign Coordinator when the then General Muhammadu Buhari (rta) twice ran for the Presidency.
In 2009, Mustapha and other Buhari loyalists formed the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) where he rose from the position of the National Ex-officio member to the Deputy National Chairman after a keenly contested election in 2010 under the leadership of Prince Tony Momoh (of blessed memory).
As CPC’s number two man, the Turaki of Ilorin was again the Kwara state focal person/Campaign Coordinator for the party’s Presidential Campaign Council from 2010 to 2011. The CPC would later merge with other legacy parties to forming the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saliu, dogged, dutiful and conscientious, was among the very few that made the historic merger come to reality. In fact, he is reputed to be the signatory to the merger agreement on behalf of the CPC tendencv in the coalition. Since then till now, he has remained true to the progressive ideology as a stakeholder of the APC both at his home state and at the national level. He has contributed in no small measure to the sustenance of the party.
In 2018, Mustapha took part in the gubernatorial primaries in his home state of Kwara but lost the opportunity to fly the party’s flag in the subsequent governorship election of 2019. He was however handed key roles in APC’s Campaign team in the run up to the election, as a member of the party’s Gubernatorial Campaign Council and also the Presidential Campaign Council. After the successful ‘Oto’ ge’ (Enough is Enough) revolution in the state, he was named a member of the Kwara State Government Transition Committee.
Outside of politics, Mustapha has been touching lives. Through his Foundation, the Saliu Mustapha Foundation, he continues to affect the lives of young people, the aged, women and children, giving them opportunities to live a better existence.
Recently, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the state, he emerged and was turbanned the new Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, a traditional title conferred only on the most eminent sons of the Emirate by the Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu Gambari.
Mustapha is very widely traveled. He has been to virtually all the continents of the world, either for business or family vacations. He is happily married with kids. He speaks a variety of Nigerian languages; namely Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Okun.
Fostering Education, Career Commitments, and Humanitarianism for a Flourishing Kwara
Projects
Creating wealth by supporting small and local businesses through empowerment of young entrepreneurs and SMEs in Kwara Central
Sponsored
Empowering the leaders of tomorrow in the areas of education and career commitments towards achieving their goals.
