Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing irreconcilable differences within the ruling party.
Mustapha announced his resignation in a notice obtained by Vanguard, following weeks of consultations with political stakeholders, supporters and constituents across Kwara Central.
“This is not a decision I have taken lightly. It follows weeks of extensive consultations and engagements with relevant stakeholders, my supporters, constituents across Kwara Central Senatorial District, and well-meaning Kwarans,” he said.
Explaining his decision, the senator said his political choices remained guided by the interests of the people and his principles.
“As a politician, I have always believed that politics must be about people, principles and purpose. 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,” Mustapha said.
He expressed appreciation to the APC leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the opportunities and relationships he had built within the party.
“To the leadership of the APC, ably led by H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, I express my deepest gratitude for the relationships and experiences I have been afforded over the years,” he said.
Mustapha also assured his supporters and constituents that his decision to leave the APC would not affect his commitment to them.
“To my constituents, supporters, political associates and stakeholders in Kwara State and beyond, I assure you that while my political platform may change, my principles, my purpose and my commitment to the people remain unchanged.
“I remain steadfast in my service to the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria at large,” he added.
The senator’s exit comes amid growing political tensions in the Kwara APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mustapha had contested the APC governorship ticket but lost to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu-Yakubu Danladi. He also lost the party’s ticket to retain his Kwara Central senatorial seat, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq emerging as the APC candidate for the district.
Sources cited by Vanguard said Mustapha was considering joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the possibility of securing its Kwara Central senatorial ticket for the 2027 election and challenging AbdulRazaq, who is expected to contest on the APC platform.
His resignation is also believed to be linked to grievances surrounding the conduct of the APC primaries in the state.
Although the party constituted a reconciliation committee to address the disputes, the effort reportedly failed to resolve the disagreements, with some aggrieved members refusing to appear before the committee and instead exploring other political platforms ahead of 2027.
Mustapha is not the only APC figure reported to have abandoned the party in Kwara. Another chieftain from Patigi Local Government Area, Hon. Kolo Jiya, was also reported to have resigned from the APC and joined the PDP, where he is said to be eyeing the party’s Kwara North senatorial ticket.
The development further deepens the internal crisis confronting the Kwara APC ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly following opposition from 10 governorship aspirants who had protested what they described as the imposition of Speaker Salihu Danladi as Governor AbdulRazaq’s preferred candidate for the governorship race.
Mustapha’s defection, if followed by his expected move to the PDP, could significantly reshape the political contest in Kwara Central and add a new dimension to the battle for the senatorial district in 2027.
