2027: Kwara Central Senator Saliu Mustapha Quits APC
Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, APC, amid an internal crisis within the party. In his resignation notice, Mustapha said the decision followed weeks of consultations with stakeholders, supporters, constituents and other Kwarans. He said his decision was not taken lightly, but became necessary because the direction of the APC no longer sufficiently aligned with his political principles and the aspirations of the people he represents. Mustapha thanked President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership for the relationships and experiences he gained while in the party, assuring his supporters that although his political platform had changed, his commitment to serving Kwara and Nigeria remained unchanged. The senator had previously contested for the APC governorship ticket but lost to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu-Yakubu Danladi. He also lost his bid for the party’s return ticket to the Senate, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq emerging as the APC candidate for Kwara Central. Sources said Mustapha is expected to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, where he could seek the party’s ticket for Kwara Central ahead of the 2027 election and potentially face AbdulRazaq. His resignation is also believed to be connected to disagreements surrounding the conduct of the APC primaries in Kwara. A reconciliation committee was reportedly established to resolve the crisis, but the effort failed to bring all aggrieved members back together. Some dissatisfied party members reportedly declined to appear before the committee and instead moved to other political platforms ahead of 2027. Another APC chieftain from Patigi Local Government Area, Hon. Kolo Jiya, has also reportedly resigned from the party and joined the PDP. He is said to be considering the PDP ticket for Kwara North Senatorial District. The developments follow growing disagreements within the Kwara APC over the party’s 2027 governorship ticket. Ten governorship aspirants had earlier rejected what they described as the imposition of Speaker Salihu Danladi as Governor AbdulRazaq’s preferred candidate for the election. Mustapha’s departure therefore adds to the political uncertainty within the ruling party as Kwara prepares for the 2027 elections.
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