Photo: Hamza Al-Mustapha

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha’s recent curious political moves have thrown up many questions on the turf, writes Ibrahim Shuaibu


The recent appearances of former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, are suspect. By subtly waltzing his way through the fold of prominent politicians, especially those of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), coupled with his body language, Al-Mustapha has begun to create uneasy calm on the turf.
Although a close ally of Alhaji Mohammed Abacha, a governorship hopeful in Kano State on the platform of the PDP, Al-Mustapha seems to be extending his networking beyond the narrow scope of Kano politics.

The former Chief Security Officer to Abacha had secured the sympathy of some people, particularly of his native region, majority of whom were tempted to describe him as the Mandela of Nigeria, not because he is a match in terms of intellectual composition or service to humanity and struggle, but because of his long incarceration for alleged conspiracy to murder and abuse of office.
But soon after he settled, following his release from detention, Al-Mustapha, with the help of some politically inclined persons, formed an association, National Unity Alliance, which membership comprises Dokubo Asari, Fredrick Fasheun and Chief Ralph Uwazurike, among many other prominent youth leaders in the country. Comrade Isa Tijjani is the secretary.

Ironically, for a man who is always avoiding journalists, Al-Mustapha soon started to receive incredible attention from the media. Whilst a concentrated focus on him by the media was believed to have aided his release, he still did not change his way after his release as he continued to shun the media.
With a Tijjani, who was a presidential aspirant on the Labour Party (LP) platform in the 2007 election and now the secretary of the association which objective is to promulgate peace and unity in the country, Al-Mustapha began his sojourn into politics.
Having spent 15 straight years in the prisons, Al-Mustapha said he had learnt a number of lessons in terms of law and social life, adding that his release is one of the things he would never forget in life.

The former CSO who has visited virtually all the northern and southern states preaching the gospel of peace and unity, was often accompanied by hundreds of youths who have continued to ask him to vie for an elective position, hinging their reason on the premise that he had come out of prisons a better person.

While speaking with THISDAY, Tijjani, a close associate of Al-Mustapha said, “Al-Mustapha is not a politician but what he is always after is unity and peace among the people of the country.
“From what I know and understand, Al-Mustapha is agitating for one nation, peace and unity and that is the main motive of the NGO formed. We have been assisting and counselling people on the impact of unity and peace,” he added.
Tijjani however debunked allegations that the association was campaigning for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election in 2015, saying: “We are campaigning for unity and peace in the country, we don’t have anybody in our fold to be campaigning for but our major interest is to have a united and peaceful country.”

However, interaction with some politicians revealed that Al-Mustapha has his own plans beyond 2015. He is said to believe that those who supported him during his incarceration would not renege by the time he ventures into politics.
Malam Adamu Kurna told THISDAY in Kano that “Al- Mustapha will be a good material in politics but my concern is that, with which position will he start and from which state, Kano or Yobe state?”

It is though believed that his popularity is yet to gather strength ahead of the 2015; many are however alleging that he is campaigning for others, preparatory to the 2015 elections. This is because many of the aspirants who are seeking the consent of the youth are said to be riding on the coat tail of Al-Mustapha with a view to wooing them into their various camp.
Observation made in Kano showed that a majority of A-Mustapha’s associates are politicians from the two major political parties of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Nevertheless, as 2015 approaches, the coast will get clearer and the undiscerning can tell where Al-Mustapha and his associates truly stand.


Source: This Day