Saliu Mustapha Dumps APC, Picks PDP Ticket for Kwara Central

The political crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State deepened on Friday as Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central, formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and picked its senatorial nomination form for the 2027 election.

Mustapha’s move came hours after he announced his resignation from the ruling party following a prolonged disagreement with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The senator received the PDP senatorial nomination form on Friday from the party’s Kwara State Chairman, Isa Adamu Baw, in a development that is expected to reshape the political contest in the district ahead of the 2027 elections.

Party officials said Mustapha was handed the ticket after consultations with former lawmaker Moshood Mustapha, who had previously been considered for the PDP’s Kwara Central senatorial ticket.

His defection has set up a potentially fierce contest in Kwara Central, where he is expected to face the governor, who has secured the APC ticket to contest the same senatorial seat.

Mustapha’s departure from the APC followed months of tension within the party, particularly after its governorship primary, which produced Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the party’s candidate.

The senator was among prominent aspirants and stakeholders who rejected aspects of the process and became associated with the aggrieved G15 bloc.

Announcing his resignation from the APC, Mustapha said his decision followed weeks of consultations with political stakeholders, supporters and constituents.

He said his political choices had always been guided by “people, principles and purpose”, adding that he could not remain on a platform that no longer sufficiently reflected those convictions.

“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 said.

The senator expressed appreciation to APC leaders, particularly President Bola Tinubu, for the relationships and experiences he gained while in the party.

He also assured his constituents that although his political platform had changed, his principles and commitment to them remained intact.

His decision to join the PDP had been widely anticipated following his disagreement with the APC leadership in the state.

There had been reports that the opposition party was considering Mustapha for its Kwara Central senatorial ticket after his fallout with the ruling party, amid efforts by former Senate President Bukola Saraki and other opposition figures to woo him.

With Mustapha’s entry into the PDP, the APC’s internal crisis has now spilled into the 2027 electoral contest, with the incumbent senator set to defend his seat from the opposition platform.

The development could also lead to further defections and realignment among members of the aggrieved APC bloc as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.