Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Barely a week after Senator Saliu Mustapha formally resigned from the All Progressives Congress and joined the Peoples Democratic Party, leaders and stakeholders of the APC in Kwara Central Senatorial District have collectively dismissed his defection as a personal decision that will not weaken the party's formidable grassroots structure. The groups, comprising stakeholders in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area, and the 51 ward chairmen of the APC in Kwara Central, addressed journalists on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in Ilorin, the state capital, declaring their continued support for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and APC governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.
The Councillor representing Gambari Ward 1, Ibrahim Salah, who spoke on behalf of the stakeholders, said their decision to reaffirm support for the AbdulRazaq-led administration was driven by the visible impact of the government's projects and programmes on residents. "We are not here because of politics. We are here because the dividends of democracy are now visible, measurable and touching the lives of ordinary Kwara people, especially the good people of the Central Senatorial District," Salah declared. He listed the completion of 113.57 kilometres of roads in Kwara Central, alongside other infrastructure projects, urban renewal initiatives, and interventions under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, which he said had provided support for businesses, youths, and vulnerable residents.
Salah stressed that the stakeholders had no reason to abandon the APC or withdraw their support from the governor. "We don't have any reason whatsoever to leave the ruling party and the administration that has given so much to us as a people," he said. He subsequently announced a vote of confidence in Governor AbdulRazaq and called on him to sustain the pace of development by completing ongoing projects and expanding empowerment programmes for youths and women. The stakeholders also pledged to support the APC and its candidates in the 2027 general elections, including Danladi in the governorship race and AbdulRazaq in the Kwara Central senatorial election.
Speaking separately, Baba Abdullahi, Chairman of Gambari Ward II and Chairman of the APC ward chairmen across the 193 wards in Kwara State, assured that Mustapha's defection would not weaken the party's structure in Kwara Central. Abdullahi, who spoke on behalf of the 51 APC ward chairmen in the district, described the chairmen as the "engine room" of the party's grassroots mobilisation. He rejected suggestions that Mustapha's victory in the 2023 election was solely a personal achievement, insisting that it resulted from the collective efforts of the party, its grassroots members, and the leadership of Governor AbdulRazaq.
"We are the engine room of the APC in Kwara Central. We are the ones who walk the streets, visit the households, and mobilise the voters who ensured the victory of our party, including Senator Saliu Mustapha, in the 2023 general elections," Abdullahi declared. He described Mustapha's departure as "a personal choice, not a reflection of the aspirations or desires of the grassroots electorate". Abdullahi urged residents of Kwara Central not to be distracted by what he called the "political tourism" of individuals who prioritise their personal comfort over the collective progress of the people.
Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District, formally resigned from the APC on August 21, 2026, in a letter dated August 14, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area. His resignation followed his failure to secure the party's governorship ticket and a return to the Senate. Mustapha has since picked the PDP ticket to contest the Kwara Central senatorial seat in the 2027 elections, setting up a major political battle with Governor AbdulRazaq, who is expected to be the APC candidate for the same seat.
The APC leaders' dismissal of Mustapha's defection signals the party's determination to maintain its dominance in Kwara Central ahead of the 2027 elections. The stakeholders' vote of confidence in Governor AbdulRazaq and their pledge to work for the success of APC candidates demonstrate that the party's grassroots machinery remains intact and committed to the 2027 political project. As one stakeholder put it, "Senator Mustapha's departure is a personal choice, not a reflection of the aspirations of the grassroots electorate".
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