Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The political crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State has deepened significantly, with 12 executive members of the party in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area, resigning their positions and membership within hours of Senator Saliu Mustapha's defection from the ruling party. The mass resignation marks one of the most immediate and visible political consequences of the senator's departure, signalling a potential realignment of political forces in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections. The ward executives, including the chairman and secretary, have indicated their intention to join Mustapha in the Peoples Democratic Party and align with what they described as an emerging "rainbow coalition" ahead of the 2027 elections.
Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District and serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, formally announced his resignation from the APC on Thursday, August 20, 2026, through a resignation letter dated August 14, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the APC, Gambari Ward 1. In his statement, Mustapha said his decision followed weeks of extensive consultations with stakeholders, supporters and constituents across Kwara Central, citing recent developments within the Kwara State chapter of the APC that had eroded his confidence in the party's leadership. He stressed that the decision was not taken lightly, stating, "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".
The immediate fallout from Mustapha's departure was the resignation of the ward chairman, Aliyu Abdulhakeem, and the secretary, Abdulwaheed Adanla, who both communicated their decisions to the APC Chairman in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Habib Ajibola, on Friday. Ten other members of the ward executive subsequently tendered a joint resignation letter, bringing the total number of departing officials to 12. Among those who resigned were Treasurer Olayinka Odunlami; Auditor-General Kelani Kola Saheed; Legal Adviser Bube Lukman; Assistant Auditor-General Adebayo Kazeem; Assistant Treasurer Muhammed Yunus Idowu; Assistant Youth Leader Ganiyu Taiye Ofide; Assistant Women Leader Alhaja Iyalanki; Assistant Secretary Muhammed Abdullahi O.; Assistant Financial Secretary Olabowu Tosho; and Assistant Organising Secretary Umar Abubakar Hajj.
Abdulhakeem, in his resignation letter, stated that he was stepping down "for personal reasons best known to me" and thanked party members for their support during his tenure. Adanla, in a separate resignation letter, said his decision followed "careful consideration" and pledged to hand over party documents, records, stamps and other properties in his possession to the appropriate authorities. The departing executives said their decision was reached "after careful consideration for the best interest of our beloved ward".
Mustapha's departure comes amid widening disagreements within the Kwara APC over the party's 2027 succession process and the outcome of the governorship primary. The senator had emerged as one of the prominent figures associated with the G15, a group of aggrieved APC stakeholders in the state, following the party's governorship primary held on May 22, 2026, which produced Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the party's candidate. Mustapha had himself contested the APC governorship ticket before the party eventually produced Danladi Salihu. The primary, which saw Danladi poll 94,990 votes to defeat Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, who scored 41,700 votes, triggered one of the most serious internal disputes in the Kwara APC since the party came to power in the state in 2019.
Mustapha subsequently joined the PDP and secured the party's ticket to contest for the Kwara Central senatorial seat in 2027, setting the stage for a major political battle with the APC candidate for the district, who is expected to be Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Another prominent APC member from Patigi Local Government Area, Hon. Kolo Jiya, has also resigned from the party and joined the PDP, positioning himself to secure the PDP ticket for the Kwara North Senatorial District. The defections suggest that efforts to reconcile aggrieved members and contain the internal divisions within the party have yet to yield the desired result.
Mustapha has insisted that his departure from the APC does not mean he has abandoned President Bola Tinubu, describing his move as part of a "rainbow coalition" that deliberately chose the PDP as the most suitable platform outside the APC for supporting Tinubu while challenging the ruling party's structure in Kwara. "I did not abandon the APC. But I have left the APC with a collective understanding. I'm representing the group in PDP so as to reset what AbdulRazaq thinks he wants to do," he said. The coalition, which comprises members of the G15, Otoge Progressives and the elders' caucus, includes Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe, Dele Belgore (SAN), Senator Lola Ashiru and Senator Sadiq Umar, among others.
The resignation of the 12 ward executives represents the first major political consequence of Mustapha's defection and could signal further realignment ahead of the 2027 elections. As one political observer noted, the development could have significant implications for the political calculations in Kwara State, where the APC has dominated since 2019 but now faces a serious internal challenge that threatens to fracture its support base. For now, the Kwara APC finds itself at a crossroads, with the departure of a sitting senator and the mass resignation of ward executives raising fundamental questions about the party's ability to maintain unity and cohesion ahead of the crucial 2027 polls.
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