African leaders not only the take the cake for mediocrity and bad policies, they are also known for bad and outrageous dressing.
Zaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko was known for his leopard skin hats. The tyrant always showed up in public with his leopard prints.
It was his symbol for the many decades he ruled with an iron fist before he was chased out of office by Laurent Kabila.
General Sani Abacha made the black RayBan aviators a fixture in Nigeria pop culture.
Africa these days is thin on fashionista dictators. They have been replaced by politicians with questionable fashion choices. Thanks to social media, we can now compile a lookbook on these politicians who dress loudly.
Let’s start from home. Senator Dino Melaye is a controversial lawmaker. He usually makes the news for his statements and actions. Some might even call him a troublemaker.
Melaye is also notorious for his style of dressing. The Kogi state senator’s sense of fashion can be described as an old dad’s attempt to be hip.
Dino Melaye rocks all the latest fashion brands but still comes out like someone who is trying too hard. He stands out but not for the good reasons. Melaye’s fashion sense lacks style even though he has the money to buy a pair of Balenciaga’s.
Dino Melaye, however, has nothing on Mike Sonko. The 42-year-old 2nd Governor of Nairobi in Kenya should be called Mr Gold for his love of the precious material.
Sonko not only loves luxury cars, he goes the extra mile by painting them gold. He is crazy about gold. He has gold rings, gold jewellery and a gold phone. Mike Sonko even prefers to drink from gold bottles too.
The Kenyan governor was trending in Nigeria for a few days ago for his lavish lifestyle. He might be lavish but Mabior Garang, who was once the Minister for Water Resources and Irrigationin South Sudan, is a complete joke.
Garang doesn’t dress loud or flashy. He is actually a poor dresser. Garang strikes you as a poor individual than a politician who was once a minister. He dresses so bad that he was once kicked out of a cabinet meeting. Garang’s dressing is so bad it will leave you speechless.
Believe it or not Mabior Garang was once a minister in South Sudan
Not all African politicians dress like riff raffs or millionaires with poor taste. Some can dress very well like the case of the South African Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula.
This minister is known for his Hip-Hop style of dressing. You can see him rocking timberland and hoodies. Not only does he dress like a young Hip-Hop fan, he is active in the genre.
He once travelled to Las Vegas to watch Floyd Mayweather fight, watched Cassper Nyovest fill up the dome in South Africa and commented on the Drake vs Meek Mill beef.