Significance Of Caps In Nigerian Politics

By Andrew Agbese

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: Plateau State Governor-elect, Caleb Muftwang has already made a fashion statement before assuming office.

From the days of his campaigns to when he was declared winner of the governorship elections, he has established a style of dressing that marks his identity which his supporters have appropriated as their uniform.

It’s his trade mark green cap.

Being from the Mwaghavwul ethnic group in Mangu Local Government of Plateau State, Muftwang can boast that he has finally succeeded where his kinsman Hon.John Longhor who had sought to give the traditional Mwaghavwul cap national prominence failed.

Longhor it was who constantly wore the traditional Mwaghavwul cap to the floor of the House of Representatives eliciting curious glances from his colleagues and others, but it was quickly forgotten when he exited the House.

In contrast, the Muftwang cap has become so popular in Plateau State that it has been been appropriated as the symbol of his campaign rubbing off on his campaign council which has been christened the ‘Green Cap Movement.”

Decades before Muftwang dreamt of contesting in an election, there was Chief Solomon Lar before him, who also made a political statement with his cap.

The Emancipator as he was fondly called, preferred to weave his cap to skyscraper heights making it to touch the skyline.

Unlike Muftwang whose cap can be identified as traditionally Kwararafa, that of Lar looked more like the Hausa cap only that it climbed several steps higher than that of the average Hausa man.

Lar’s cap differed from that of then president, Shehu Shagari, mainly in height but that of Shagari was more of an instant hit nationally as many in admiration took the wearing of his kind of cap.

The Shagari cap became so politically intimidating that the rival UPN-led government in Ogun State banned its citizens from wearing it.

You read that right.

But long before Shagari there was Malam Aminu Kano, the defender of the talakawa who also made a statement with his red Dara cap that looked more like the Moroccan fez.

The statement was so powerful that decades after his demise, one of his admirers, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had to reintroduce it to Kano in what became known as the Red Cap Movement.

The 2nd Republic governor of Benue State, Aper Aku also had his ‘Anger’ (pronounced ange) cap depicting his Tiv ancestry that was unique at that time.

But perhaps the most popular political cap was the Awolowo cap.

The round cap became the symbol of the political children of Awolowo also known as the Awoists.

It endured in relevance for decades that it later became a must wear for almost every politician from the south west including current vice president, Yemi Osinbajo.

If one is to add the sign on the cap of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Green Movement in Plateau, it looks like the next administration would be loud in fashion fire works!