BREAKING: Etsu Nupe to Turban Gov. Bago, Saliu Mustapha, September 2026

BREAKING: Etsu Nupe to Turban Gov. Bago, Saliu Mustapha, September 2026

The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji (Dr.) Yahaya Abubakar, has fixed September 2026 for the formal turbaning of Niger State Governor, Muhammed Umar Bago, and Senator Saliu Mustapha.

At the ceremony, Governor Bago will be turbaned as the Turaki of the Bida Emirate, while Senator Mustapha, who represents the Kwara Central Senatorial District, will be formally installed as the Tabariki Nupe.

The development follows an earlier conferment of the prestigious title of 1st Tabariki Nupe on Senator Mustapha by the Etsu Nupe, who also serves as Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers.

A delegation from the Bida Emirate Council conveyed the decision during a formal presentation of a letter of credence to the senator at his office in Abuja.

The delegation was led by the Barje Nupe and Chairman of the Bida Emirate Traditional Turbaning Committee, Alhaji Kassim N. Yawa, alongside the Wakilin Labarai Nupe and committee secretary, Alhaji Isah Isah Muhammad.

According to the council, the title Tabariki is derived from the Arabic word “Tabarakah,” meaning abundance and divine blessings, and is interpreted as the “Blessed Son of the Nupe Emirate.”

Reacting, Senator Mustapha described the honour as humbling and deeply symbolic, appreciating the Etsu Nupe and the Bida Emirate Council for the recognition.

He noted that the conferment underscores the longstanding historical and cultural ties between the Bida and Ilorin emirates, reinforcing a shared heritage and enduring brotherhood.

Mustapha, who is also the Turaki of Ilorin and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Production Services and Rural Development, said the honour would further inspire his commitment to public service and humanity.

He pledged to uphold the dignity of the title and continue to serve with dedication and integrity.