{Op- Ed}: MOSHOOD MUSTAPHA AND THE BURDEN OF PRIDE: THE TRUTH ILORIN MUST NOT IGNORE –  A Concerned Voice from Ilorin

When the news broke that Hon. Moshood Mustapha would be facing charges in court, and some voices began shouting: “Why would the Governor charge him to court?” But before we get carried away by emotion or manipulated by political noise, should we not ask: who truly started this crisis?

Let’s not distort history. Let’s not pretend we don’t know what happened.

Moshood Mustapha, a well-known political figure in Ilorin, stood before the world and publicly insulted the Governor of Kwara State. Not with mild political disagreement, but with unprintable names, even calling him a “mad man.” Is this how elders speak? Is this how leaders act?

And let’s not forget: when he insulted the governor, was it just about AbdulRahman as a person, or was it an attack on the dignity of the entire Kwara State and its people? Does such reckless utterance not have the potential to incite division and disrupt public peace?

Section 97 of the Penal Code (Cap P4 Laws of Kwara State) clearly prohibits such acts that can lead to public unrest. So, why are we now pretending that the law should not apply?

Worse still, Hon. Moshood Mustapha went ahead to fabricate a fake court suit, claiming he had dragged the Governor to court, a blatant lie that further misled the public and inflamed political tension. Isn’t this a criminal act, too? Or are lies now part of leadership?

And yet, even after all this, did the Kwara State Government rush to prosecute him? No. Instead, elders from Ilorin, including respected Islamic clerics and even members of Mustapha’s own immediate family, intervened.

These elders, acting in good conscience and in line with Ilorin tradition, approached the governor to beg for peace. They acknowledged that Moshood had crossed the line and pleaded for mercy. Out of humility and deep respect for these elders, the Governor agreed to step back, but the elders and Islamic Clerics says that they will instruct Moshood Mustapha to personally reach out to the governor to apologize through a call, text, or letter, to express remorse and acknowledge the error.

Now, the question is: Did he fulfil this condition? Has he sent a text? Has he picked up the phone? Has he written a line of apology?

The answer is simple: No. He did nothing.

So, who truly disrespected the elders? Who broke the gentleman agreement? Is it not Moshood Mustapha who spat on the honourable efforts of Ilorin’s respected leaders, including his family members?

Now that the Kwara State Government, not Governor AbdulRahman, as some mischievously claim is allowing the law to take its natural course through the office of the Attorney General, people are shouting that the Governor is vindictive. But is it vindictiveness or justice?

Is the Governor expected to fold his arms while the peace of the state is toyed with? Should laws no longer apply because the person involved is a “popular politician”?

Even more troubling are those playing both sides, some so-called elders who pretend to mediate by day but mock the governor by night. Are these the peacemakers we should listen to? Or are they part of the problem?

Let the truth be known: Ilorin elders did not sit idly. They intervened. They negotiated peace. They tried to protect the dignity of all parties. But Moshood Mustapha chose pride over peace. He chose silence over reconciliation. And now, he must face the consequences of that decision.

No one is above the law. And no one should be allowed to play the victim after setting the fire.

So, to those who shout “he shouldn’t be taken to court,” the question remains: Why not?
Is it because he’s famous? Or because we have stopped believing in justice?

Let Ilorin stand for truth. Let us not support dishonour simply because the face behind it is familiar.

History will record where each person stands, whether on the side of peace, truth, and honour… or on the side of hypocrisy and manipulations.