Dr Mohammed Ghali, a former Non-Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has insisted that the lawmaker representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Senator Salihu Mustapha, signed a written undertaking to serve only one term in the Red Chamber.

Ghali’s assertions follow the Senator’s recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where Mustapha denied executing any such one-term agreement ahead of the 2023 general elections.

In a signed statement, Ghali—who described himself as a mediator and physical witness to the pact—expressed disappointment over the lawmaker’s denial. He detailed the sequence of events leading to the controversial agreement, naming key witnesses to the event.

Ghali stated: “For the record, that denial is false. I am compelled to speak because I was personally involved in the events leading to the 2023 APC senatorial election in Kwara Central and was physically present when Senator Mustapha signed the document in question. For clarity, the undertaking was signed by Senator Salihu Mustapha on May 27, 2022, and was addressed to His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.”

According to the statement, Mustapha allegedly approached Ghali during the 2023 primary season to solicit help in securing the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket against two other aspirants. To convince the party leadership and Governor AbdulRazaq, Mustapha allegedly volunteered a pre-prepared single-term commitment.

Ghali also identified Mallam Saadu Salau, currently the Senior Adviser and Counselor to the Governor, as a co-witness to the execution of the document. He added that the Senator and his father returned to his residence the following day, May 28, 2022, to express their appreciation for the political intervention.

Addressing Mustapha’s defence that the signature or name on the document differed from his standard spelling, Ghali dismissed the claim as a diversion. “That explanation does not erase the circumstances under which the document was presented and signed. I was there. I saw him sign it. I heard the undertaking he made,” Ghali stated.

While noting that political calculations and agreements can naturally evolve over time, Ghali maintained that outrightly denying a witnessed pact undermines public accountability. He subsequently challenged the lawmaker, who holds the traditional title of Turaki of Ilorin, to publicly dispute the claims under oath.