Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress in Alanamu Ward, Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State, have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 general elections, in the latest movement of supporters between the two major parties in the state.
The defectors were formally received into the PDP on Saturday, October 3, during a rally held at the party’s Alanamu Ward secretariat in Ilorin. The group was drawn from different polling units within the local government and was identified as largely comprising supporters of Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central in the National Assembly.
The development follows a major political realignment in Kwara triggered by Mustapha’s departure from the APC in August. The senator, who had been a prominent member of the ruling party, resigned after losing the APC governorship primary and subsequently being left without the party’s ticket to return to the Senate in 2027.
Mustapha later joined the PDP and secured its ticket to contest the Kwara Central senatorial election next year. His move has since been followed by defections involving supporters and political associates in parts of the state, particularly within the Kwara Central political zone.
The latest defection in Alanamu is therefore being viewed within the context of the wider realignment surrounding the senator. Speaking on behalf of the new PDP members, the leader of the defectors, AbdulRazaq Adio, said their decision was primarily motivated by their loyalty to Mustapha.
Adio said the group remained committed to the senator regardless of the political platform on which he chose to pursue his political career. He described Mustapha as their principal and said the defectors would continue to support him following his move from the APC to the PDP.
The defectors also cited the political leadership of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and what they described as the direction of the PDP in Kwara as factors encouraging their decision. They pledged to work with existing PDP members and support the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
Receiving the new members, the PDP Chairman in Alanamu Ward, Abdulgafar Alawo, described their arrival as a significant addition to the party’s grassroots structure. He assured the defectors that they would have the opportunity to participate fully in the activities of the party.
Alawo, however, urged the new members to contribute actively to the development of the PDP rather than simply joining the party because of the approaching elections. He said their participation would be important to strengthening the party’s organisation at the ward level.
The latest movement is part of a series of defections recorded in Kwara in recent months as the APC and PDP intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections. In September, more than 2,000 APC members in Adewole Ward, also in Ilorin West, defected to the PDP, according to reports. Adewole Ward is associated with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, making that earlier movement politically notable.
The Adewole defectors also said they were supporters of Mustapha and followed him after his departure from the APC. They were led by Sheu Afunjo and Abdullateef Mahmud Omodele and declared their intention to work for Mustapha’s return to the Senate under the PDP.
Another major defection occurred in Offa Local Government Area in September, when hundreds of APC members from several wards announced their movement to the PDP. Among the areas mentioned were Shawo Central Ward, the political base of Senator Lola Ashiru, and the governor’s political ward.
The current wave of defections has a direct connection with Mustapha’s political movement. His exit from the APC followed months of disagreement within the party over the outcome of its 2027 governorship primary and the distribution of National Assembly tickets.
Mustapha had contested the APC governorship primary against other prominent aspirants. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, eventually won the primary and emerged as the party’s governorship candidate. Mustapha and other members of the G15, a group of aggrieved APC stakeholders, subsequently criticised the process and called for intervention by the party’s national leadership.
The APC has maintained that its candidates emerged through its approved primary processes, while Danladi-Salihu has said reconciliation efforts were underway to address grievances within the party. Mustapha, however, eventually resigned from the APC in August, saying developments within the party’s Kwara chapter had eroded his confidence in its leadership.
Hours after announcing his resignation, Mustapha received the PDP’s ticket for the Kwara Central senatorial contest. The move transformed what had initially been an internal APC dispute into a broader contest between the two parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mustapha’s emergence as the PDP candidate is particularly significant because the APC has nominated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the same Kwara Central Senate seat. AbdulRazaq is serving his second term as governor and is constitutionally barred from seeking another term in the governorship race, making the senatorial contest one of the key political battles taking shape in the state.
For the PDP, the arrival of additional APC members in Alanamu and other wards provides an opportunity to expand its grassroots structure ahead of the election. For the APC, the defections add to the political challenge created by the departure of a serving senator and former governorship aspirant, although the party continues to mobilise supporters across the state.
The latest development does not by itself establish how the broader electorate in Kwara will vote in 2027. It does, however, show that party membership and political alliances in the state remain fluid as the election approaches.
With both APC and PDP strengthening their ward structures and prominent politicians moving between platforms, Kwara is entering a period of intensified political organisation. The defections in Alanamu will now be watched alongside similar movements across the state as the two parties seek to consolidate their support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments