2027 Battle: Mustapha Dumps APC,  Picks PDP Ticket as Kwara Central Senator

The political landscape in Kwara State has taken a dramatic turn as Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), barely a day after announcing his resignation from the ruling party.

Mustapha, a founding member of the APC who spent 13 years in the party, received the PDP senatorial nomination form for the 2027 election on Friday, signalling that his departure from the APC was followed by a swift decision to contest the next election under the opposition party.

The Kwara State PDP chairman presented the nomination form to the senator, effectively positioning him as the party’s candidate-in-waiting for the Kwara Central senatorial contest, subject to the party’s nomination process.

The development came after Mustapha, in a resignation letter dated August 14, 2026 and addressed to the APC chairman of Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area, formally ended his membership of the party.

In a statement announcing his resignation, the senator said he had arrived at the decision after weeks of consultations with constituents, political associates, stakeholders and other well-meaning Kwarans.

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly. It follows weeks of extensive consultations and engagements with relevant stakeholders, my supporters, constituents across Kwara Central Senatorial District, and well-meaning Kwarans,” he said.

Mustapha said his decision was rooted in his belief that politics should remain focused on the welfare of the people, principles and purposeful leadership.

“As a politician, I have always believed that politics must be about people, principles and purpose. Where the path of a political platform no longer sufficiently aligns with these convictions and the aspirations of the people one represents, the honourable thing to do is to chart a new course,” he stated.

He later gave a clearer indication of his grievances with the APC, accusing the party’s leadership in Kwara of departing from the principles on which he said the party was founded.

“Recent developments within the APC in our State, particularly under the leadership of the Party in Kwara State, have departed from the founding core principles of collective unity and internal democracy,” Mustapha said.

According to him, political leadership should be anchored on “integrity, competence, accountability and a sincere commitment to the collective interest of the people.”

He added: “The current leadership of the Party in Kwara State has fallen short of these standards.”

Despite his decision to leave the APC, Mustapha expressed appreciation for the relationships and experiences he gained during his years in the party, including under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He also assured his constituents that his departure from the APC would not diminish his commitment to public service.

“While my political platform may change, my principles, my purpose and my commitment to the people remain unchanged,” he said.

The senator’s immediate embrace of the PDP has, however, added a new dimension to the political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

For the PDP, Mustapha’s arrival provides the party with an incumbent senator and a prominent political figure to prosecute the battle for Kwara Central, while the APC now faces the task of responding to the loss of one of its founding members and serving National Assembly lawmakers.

The development has also drawn a sharp reaction from the Kwara PDP, which described Mustapha’s resignation as evidence of deepening cracks within the APC.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, blamed Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what he described as the weakening of the ruling party in the state.

“Governor AbdulRazaq has failed his party just as he has failed the people of Kwara State. He now presides over a party that is fatally fractured, internally weakened and increasingly rejected by ordinary Kwarans,” Adewara alleged.

The PDP spokesman argued that Mustapha’s exit should not be viewed as an isolated development, linking it to other reported political movements and disagreements within the APC across the state.

“The resignation of Senator Saliu Mustapha is not an ordinary political development; it is a loud confirmation that the leadership crisis in the APC has reached a dangerous and irreversible stage,” he stated.

Adewara further urged APC members who were allegedly dissatisfied with the party to reconsider their continued membership and join the PDP.

“We call on every distinguished Kwaran still trapped in the APC out of sheer reluctance to leave to summon courage and take the bold step now,” he said.

Mustapha’s defection is expected to trigger fresh negotiations and realignments among political actors in Kwara, particularly in Kwara Central, where the senator’s incumbency, political structure and decision to contest on the PDP platform could significantly reshape the 2027 race.

The development also places greater pressure on the APC to produce a formidable candidate capable of challenging Mustapha, while the PDP will be expected to consolidate the advantage created by his defection.

As the 2027 elections draw closer, Mustapha’s movement from the APC to the PDP has transformed what was initially a resignation into one of the most significant political realignments in Kwara State, with its full impact likely to become clearer as other politicians and supporters decide where to pitch their tents.