The unanticipated release of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd) by the Court of Appeal is said to be rattling old political camps in the North, as tongues are wagging over alleged political undertones and its implications for the 2015 political permutations.
Prior, the northern region was prior to the release of the former Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha dominated by three main political blocks, which will now contend with a new block ro be led by Al-Mustapha, who had cleverly managed to win some support for himself with his incarceration.
The old camps include the Babangida/Abdulsalami group, the Buhari alliance and the northern mainstream camp of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
The acquitted security chief had throughout the 14 years he was in prison pointed fingers at top former military leaders as the brain behind his trial.
Mustapha had always maintained that his trial was activated by those who believed he knew too much about the circumstances surrounding the death of the late winner of the 2003 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, who died in detention.
Hours after his release, Al-Mustapha has become a new rallying point for northern political actors who see him as a fresh face in the dilluted political waters of the north thus raising fears in old political camps due to his enormous influence during the dark days of the Abacha regime.
Checks showed that though the release is generating furore in some sections of the country, particularly the South-West where the slain Kudirat Abiola and her husband hailed from, the political base already built around the former security chief while in detention is said to have begun to work in anticipation of the agenda he may launch in the countdown to 2015.
Al-Mustapaha was earlier rumored to be eyeing the governorship seat of Yobe State with an organisation said to have developed around the influential military officer. The massive reach of his network and the rumoured enormous war chest are said to be raising fears, especially as old allies of the late military head of state, General Abacha, are reported to be wakening up from their low-profile postures.
In a manner that showed the new found popularity of the Yobe indigene, some state governments in the North are altready falling over each other to host and organise a reception for him. The Kano State government is reported to have announced a plan to host and celebrate the ex-Abacha aide.
While Al-Mustapha has not decided on party affiliation, reports indicated that he may align with none of the old power blocks in the North, especially as they are led by leaders he had accused several times of persecuting him due to lingering politics of the old Abacha era. It was said that, as a result, he might not likely support any political affiliation which the two former military presidents, Generals Babangida and Abubakar belong to.
Meanwhile, watchers of the political trends are already interpreting the court judgment as capable of enhancing the political base of President Jonathan in the North.
While the court judgment is seen as based on purely legal considerations, there are strong reports that Al-Mustapha may pitch his tent with the pro-Jonathan forces in the North due to his well documented differences with the camps of Generals Babangida and Abdul-Salami Abubabkar.
According to a political leader: “Al-Mustapha may be an asset for Jonathan due to his deep knowledge of deeds of many top Northern leaders who are currently opposed to the President .We all know he won’t side with some forces in the North and he may feel the president has solved the 14-year problem that kept him in jail, though the release had nothing to do with the president.”
According to him, Jonathan now has a strong voice in Al-Mustapha who knows so much about the President’s opponents. If he allows the young man to open up, then 2015 will take a new character.”
It will be recalled that President Jonathan had come under intense pressure to effect the release of Major Al-Mustapha. There is, however, no evidence to support any claim of presidential intervention.
Source: Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment