The Nigerian political landscape has experienced its moments of suspense and apprehensions but none can deny has had its fair share of exhilarating and exciting moments.

With the array of colourful and charismatic politicians that have occupied the stage since the per-independence era, the people have been fairly entertained over the years.

Driven by the desire to make political statements, attract attention, distinguish themselves from others and forge an identity, political leaders have come up with all manners of styles and frills that would be referred to in today’s parlance as swag or steeze.

The styles and touch added to their panache to their personalities in various forms like added features or designs to their outfits, peculiar design of clothes, exaggerated manners of speaking, gaits and even diction.

The aspect that has, however, seen much innovation is in the different types of caps used by political leaders over the years. This is said to be because the cap is the most conspicuous item of clothing due to the fact that it is placed on the head and because it is common among the various cultures in the country.

Baba Ibrahim, a septuagenarian, who spoke with our correspondent recalled that in the 70s, it was almost impossible not to distinguish between political leaders as they varied in style and appearances.

“You can say that each of them came prepared, they either imported their cultures or backgrounds into their public appearances or they came up with some unique styles that made them look different,” he said.

Weekend Trust also learnt that in the past, it was easy to distinguish between supporters of various political leaders from their slogans, ideologies they projected, clothes they wore and the caps they chose.

Such, many who recall the politics of the 1st and 2nd Republics, noted that they added colour,  creativity and sensation to the politics of that era.

Observations by our correspondent revealed that the early political leaders were mainly influenced by their cultural backgrounds in their choices of outfits and the caps that went with them.

But there were some of them that added personal touch to accentuate their uniqueness which has been sustained by their followers till date.

Some present day politicians have also imbibed the trait and have tried to sell their uniqueness through the peculiar designs, styles of folding their caps and patterns emblazoned on them like the unmistakable sign on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cap.

1st Republic

Political leaders of the 1st Republic, including those that were active in per-independence nationalistic struggles are; Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Anthony Enahoro; Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Michael Okpara, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Eyo Ita etc.

Sir Ahmadu Bello, who was premier of Northern Region, being a traditional title holder of the Sardaunan Sokoto from the was known to always complement his head gear with the ‘rawani’ or turban. Azikiwe and Okpara, both from Eastern Region chose the okpuagu and okp’uhie traditional caps all borrowed from a popular Igbo culture and it became part of their political identities.

There was Adegoke Adelabu, the flamboyant politician who hailed from Ibadan known popularly for his use of hifalutin words and phrases like ‘peculiar mess.’ He was known for adorning the traditional Yoruba fila, that is common to Ibadan people just like his fellow Ibadan man, Busari Adelakun. 

Leader of the Action Group and one time premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo added a touch of class to the fila he wore. Apart from the unique ways it was shaped, there were unique patterns to them and his penchant for combining it with the Mahatama Ghandi type of round glasses gave him a unique outlook.

Malam Aminu Kano, champion of the talakawa   liberation struggle,  credited with founding  the first labor union in Northern Nigeria and the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) also used his trade mark red cap.

An awoist, Olawale Okunniyi, said the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s signature cap is traceable to the first 

Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru’s model of cap.

Nehru was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. 

Okunniyi, who is the Director-General of the National Consultative Front, said Awolowo  was highly fascinated by the political ideology and anti-colonial struggles of Nehru.

“It can be traced to Awo’s love, liking, admiration for Jawaharlal Nehru of India. Awo was fascinated by his ideology. He was an anti-colonial nationalist and social democrat. 

“He wore such model of cap. You can see the link ideologically. So, Awo was fascinated by his cap and adopted it. He saw him as a model, somebody to emulate, somebody to associate with,” he explained.

In Nigeria, the veteran activist said the Awo cap was “essentially a symbol of progressive politics and ideology.”

Okunniyi said Awo followers adopted the cap as a sense of solidarity to the late sage’s political ideology.

“For us who believe in Awo political ideology, it gives us a sense of solidarity. It’s not for fashion. It’s the sense of ideological solidarity with Awo,” he said.

However, he added that some prominent Awoists like late Pa Ayo Adebanjo also popularised usage of the cap with little adjustments to the style.

“People like Chief Adebanjo wore it in a different way. Awo didn’t raise the front of that cap. He would never raise it; it was just in a round form.

“Some people who are progressives still wear it. Awo’s followers still wear it. If you look at the way (Olusegun) Mimiko wears it, he will never raise the top of the cap.

“It’s the same cap, you either wear it raising the top or use the round form without lifting the top,” he added.

However, there appears to be a different version to the origin of the Awolowo cap. Contrary to Okunniyi’s position, Chief Supo Shonibare, who is the Afenifere leader in Lagos State, said the Awo cap originated from old Czechoslovakia Republic.  

He said: “In the period leading to the agitation for independence, those aspiring into leadership positions began to interrogate the ideological system of governance to commend their people. Zik seemed to have had his ideological thinking shaped largely by the American system laissez-faire template. Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Kwame Nkrumah seemed to have been influenced by the Fabian Society of London in Labour Party’s social democratic movement modification of democratic socialism. 

“Chief Awolowo modified the ideological stance with less emphasis on land. The choice was therefore between the Western & Eastern European ideological stance. The Awo cap originates from old Czechoslovakia republic.  

“It was worn to set aside and to identify Action group leaders and members with social democratic movement ideological stance.  It’s a trademark in identifying an Awoist- follower of the economic and structural prescription contained in the various publications of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Egbe Afenifere was the Yoruba description of democratic socialism espoused by Action Group,” he said.

The 2nd Republic

It was in the 2nd Republic, however, that more politicians became more deliberate about making political statements with their caps, pushing the trend to a more serious level. The presidential candidates of the five political parties all had their unique caps.  

Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, retained his round cap and round spectacles while Malam Aminu Kano of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, also retained 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 what became known as the Red Cap Movement.

Waziri Ibrahim of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party, GNPP, came with his dara but was slightly different from that of Amina Kano, in that it had a ‘tuntun’ and was known as the Daran Waziri.

Shehu Shagari of the NPN, who became president, came into politics with the normal traditional Hausa Fula. But it was the unusual length that caught people’s attention and made it unique that some described it as skyscraper cap.

When Shagari became president, the cap became accepted nationally as many in admiration, took to wearing his kind of cap. The Shagari cap became so politically intimidating that the then deputy governor of rival UPN-led government in Ogun State banned its people from wearing it.

Nnamdi Azikiwe of the Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP also retained his red cap. There were governors of the Second Republic that also made statements with their caps.

Second Republic governor of Plateau State, Solomon Lar, was known for wearing the Hausa cap similar to the one won by Shagari, but his differed from that of then president, Shehu Shagari, mainly in height.

Elder statesman Yusuf Maitama Sule, known by his traditional title of Danmasanin Kano, deviated from the usual popular Hausa cap.  Together with secretary of the defunct NPN, Senator Uba Ahmed, they preferred the Pakistani style cap known in some parts of northern Nigeria as ‘Tumsa.’

The then governor of Benue State, Aper Aku, popularised the Tiv cap with which he attended many official functions outside the state.

After the Second Republic, the idea waned, but was sustained by then governor of Osun State, Isiaka Adeleke, who introduced a type of hat that was later known as the Serubawon cap and has been retained by his younger brother and current governor of Ousan State, Ademola Adeleke. 

Current dispensation

In the current dispensation, former President Goodluck Jonathan came into the political scene with the bowler hat popular in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Those whose styles have remained include the likes of Emeka Ihedioha with his trade mark green cap and the way he folds it; Victor Umeh, with his long red cap and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, who has succeeded in popularising what is known as the ‘Green Cap Movement.” 

In the current dispensation, it is easy to identify who is with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the display of the logo on his cap which looks like two zeros, but is said to represent broken chains.

The symbol, which has been given different interpretations, stands out as one thing the president marks him with and many people who want to show loyalty, have been seen wearing the cap.

Hence, it is common to see party leaders, governors, political appointees adorning caps with that particular pattern.

Adeleke’s signature cap

Governor Adeleke’s signature cap was the political trademark of his elder brother, the first civilian Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji, Adeleke. 

The senior Adeleke came up with the style when he was campaigning for the governorship election in1991 on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP). 

Weekend Trust gathered from sources who preferred anonymity that the concept of Adeleke’s signature cap represents letter V, which stands for Victory. “When you look at that cap very well, just pay attention to the middle, from the top, you will see letter ‘V’. It simply means victory.

“During the campaign for that election, the late governor brought different innovative ideas to distinguish himself. That concept is among the unique identities of the former governor, who was popularly known as Serubawon”

“Former Governor Adeleke was able to carve a niche after creating that signature cap for his campaign. The style is called Serubawon, meaning put them in fear. It was a weapon aimed at weakening his opponent and attracting victory to himself during the 1991 governorship election”

Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke eventually won the election and he retained the style as his official dressing pattern since then. Even when he became senator, he kept using that same signature cap. Some of his political allies and supporters also adopted the style.

After the death of former governor, his younger brother, the current governor, Asiwaju Ademola  Adeleke contested for Osun-west Senatorial District’s seat to replace his late brother. 

The Commissioner for Information in Osun State, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi confirmed that the signature cap of Governor Adeleke represents letter V and has always attracted electoral victory.

Alimi said interested individuals willing to adopt the signature cap of Governor Adeleke are free to do so. “There are a lot of people wearing that style of cap. It’s the trademark of our leader, Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke and has been adopted by Governor Ademola Adeleke.”

Idea behind the Kwankwasiyya cap

In the shifting tides of Kano’s political history, few symbols have endured as powerfully—or as contentiously—as the iconic red cap of the Kwankwasiyya movement. Once a badge of moral revivalism rooted in the legacy of the late Malam Aminu Kano, the red cap has become both a rallying cry for loyalists and a flashpoint in Kano’s ongoing political battles.

Offering a first-hand account of its origins, Sanusi Sirajo Kwankwaso, Special Adviser on Political Affairs to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and a close confidant of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, traces the red cap’s roots back to the early 2010s, when internal political rifts within Kano’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called for a symbolic reawakening.

“First, it started when Senator Kwankwaso came from the SDP with the likes of Hamisu Musa from the Malam Aminu Kano camp and Engr. Magaji Abdullahi,” Sirajo told Weekend Trust. The ideology was deeply influenced by the teachings of Malam Aminu Kano,” he said.

During Kwankwaso’s first tenure as governor (1999–2003), he was not yet associated with the red cap. That changed after internal conflicts erupted among key political figures such as Abubakar Rimi and Aminu Wali. Reconciliation efforts within the PDP faltered, and Kwankwaso’s loyalists began exploring ways to distinguish their ideological identity.

In 2010, under the chairmanship of Mas’ud El-Doguwa and a PDP committee led by Aminu Labaran Baba, disagreements over candidate selection deepened. Kwankwaso’s influence was questioned by rival factions. It was during this period that the idea of a distinctive cap emerged as both a symbol of resistance and unity.

“Kwankwaso fielded 17 candidates for the primaries. Amid the brewing tensions, we thought of adopting a unique cap to give us a new look—and that’s how the red cap came in,” Sirajo explained.

The cap’s full political debut came on May 29, 2011, during the inauguration of Governor Kwankwaso and Deputy Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the Sani Abacha Stadium. The sea of red caps and white robes that day didn’t just mark a return to power—it launched the visual identity of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

Beyond the aesthetics, the red cap embodied a deeper ideological code—one built around integrity, accountability, and public-centred leadership. Inspired by Malam Aminu Kano’s simple attire—red cap, white gown, black shoes—Kwankwaso’s followers embraced the look as a commitment to grassroots politics.

Analyst speaks

A political analyst and university lecturer, Dr. Sa’idu Ahmad Dukawa, has cautioned against what he termed the excessive or exclusionary use of political symbols in governance, warning that such practices could alienate citizens and undermine effective administration. Speaking in an interview with Weekend Trust, Dr. Dukawa said while political symbols such as flags, colours, and emblems play a vital role in mobilisation and identity, they must not be weaponised to create in-groups and out-groups within society.

“In the first place, symbols are important in politics. That’s why nations have flags, coat of arms, and specific colours representing unity, peace, or struggle. These are powerful tools for mobilising people,” he said.

He warned that symbols become problematic when used in a manner that breeds exclusion or sectarian loyalty. “When a symbol takes on a cult-like character—used only by members of a political movement and seen as a badge of loyalty—it begins to alienate non-members. This, in turn, can lead to resentment and resistance,” he said.

Dr. Dukawa noted that some individuals may falsely adopt such symbols to access benefits, while others may outrightly reject them, leading to division and non-compliance with government initiatives.

“It becomes counterproductive. People may either pretend to belong or reject the symbol altogether. That can result in non-cooperation with government policies and can eventually hurt governance and service delivery,” he added.

Dr. Dukawa urged political actors to ensure that their symbols promote unity, rather than division, especially in a democratic setting that thrives on broad participation and national cohesion.

Reports from Peter Moses, Lagos, Salim Umar Ibrahim, Kano & Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo