Kwara governor appoints Mashud Mustafa as 2027 Hajj coordinator — Premium Times Nigeria
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of Nigeria's Kwara State, has appointed Mashud Mustafa to head the state's delegation for the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in 2027. According to Premium Times Nigeria, information about the appointment is contained in a statement issued by the deputy chief press secretary of the state government house, Mashud Agboola.
Coordination of the pilgrimage
Mustafa will serve as the Amir of Hajj and coordinate the organization of Kwara State's pilgrimage together with other officials from different levels of government. Also known as MM, he was a member of Nigeria's House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015 and holds the traditional title of Wakili of the Ilorin Emirate.
Previous political differences
The appointment came less than a day after Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Ilorin. During a ceremony at which the governor was bestowed the title of Sardauna of Ilorin, Shettima urged the state's political leaders not to engage in politics with bitterness and to overcome their differences.
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Previously, relations between AbdulRazaq and Mustafa were strained, which, according to the publication, led Mustafa to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party. One reason for the dispute was the revocation of Mustafa's company's concession for the state-owned Kwara Hotel in Ilorin. Subsequently, the state authorities spent several billion naira on renovating the facility.
Change in electoral plans
After joining the Peoples Democratic Party, Mustafa received the party's nomination for the Senate election from Kwara Central. However, following a regrouping of dissatisfied members of the All Progressives Congress and a faction of former governor Bukola Saraki's Peoples Democratic Party, he withdrew his nomination in favor of incumbent Senator Saliu Mustapha. It is currently unknown whether the new appointment indicates reconciliation between the governor and Mustafa.
