OBITUARY
ADEKEYE ADEBAJO: Abdul Raufu Mustapha’s passing silences erudite voice on Nigeria
Abdul Raufu Mustapha, who died in Britain in August at the age of 63, taught African politics at Oxford University for two decades, having previously studied and taught at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. Mustapha was from Ilorin, the geographical, cultural and political crossroads of Nigeria. He sought in his scholarship and activist politics to serve as a bridge between the north and south of the country, debunking stereotypes about each region. He embodied Nigeria’s complexity: having been born in the eastern city of Aba, he spoke the country’s three main languages fluently. Mustapha was the ultimate "detribalised" and polyglot Nigerian. He was also atypical of the stereotypical brash, boastful and loud Nigerian: he was quietly outspoken, humble and warm-hearted. I only once saw Mustapha angry — when he spoke about the petty politics of his almost lily-white Oxford Africanist colleagues. He, however, enjoyed a close friendship with his South African mentor, Gavin Willia...
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