Kwara 2027: Constituents Dismiss Mustapha’s Defection To PDP As Non Issue
* Rally Support For AbdulRazaq, Danladi, Other APC Candidates
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kwara Central Senatorial District have dismissed Senator Saliu Mustapha’s defection from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a political tourism, pledging their continued and unalloyed support to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, as well as all other candidates of the party.
The declaration was made separately by Hon. Ibrahim Sulyman Salah, Councillor representing Gambari Ward 1 in the Ilorin East Local Government Area, and Baba Gobir Abdullahi, APC Chairman of Gambari Ward II, who doubles as overall Chairman of all APC Ward Chairmen across the 193 Wards in Kwara State.
Senator Saliu Mustapha, who hails from Gambari Ward 1 in the Ilorin East Local Government Area is contesting the coveted senate seat with incumbent Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of the ruling APC.
While Salah spoke on behalf of stakeholders from Gambari Ward 1 and other communities across the Kwara Central Senatorial District, Gobir represented the 51 APC Ward Chairmen in the senatorial district.
According to Salah, the stakeholders were not driven by political considerations but by the visible impact of Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration across the State.
He added: “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 Kwarans.”
He cited, among others, road construction, urban renewal, healthcare, education and economic empowerment, as areas the administration has impacted citizens’ lives and also made significant strides.
According to Salah, 113.57 kilometres of roads have been completed in the Kwara Central Senatorial District, while another 65.5 kilometres are ongoing, noting that the projects have significantly improved transportation and connectivity in Ilorin.
He also highlighted the ongoing 42.5 kilometre Eiyenkorin-Afon-Ojoku-Offa-Odo Otin road, which he said would strengthen economic links between Kwara Central and Kwara South.
Salah also lauded the administration’s introduction of the Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP), particularly Owo Isowo, Owo Arugbo and Kwapreneur, saying the interventions have in no small way supported businesses, women, youths and vulnerable residents, while citizens’ engagement sessions held across Kwara Central, including Ilorin East, have also enabled residents to contribute to the 2026 budget process.
Salah, who passed a vote of confidence in AbdulRazaq, however, urged the Governor to sustain the pace of development, particularly by completing ongoing projects and expanding empowerment programmes for youths, women and the vulnerable.
Also speaking for the 51 APC Ward Chairmen, Gobir reaffirmed their loyalty to AbdulRazaq and insisted that Mustapha’s defection would not weaken the party’s structure or grassroots support.
He described the Ward Chairmen as the engine room of the APC in Kwara Central, saying they would not relenting in walking the streets, visiting households to moblise voters for the party.
Gobir rejected the suggestion that Mustapha’s 2023 senatorial victory was a personal achievement, saying it was the product of the APC’s ideology, AbdulRazaq’s leadership and the collective resilience of grassroots members and stakeholders.
He also questioned the strength of the political platform to which Mustapha defected, asking why it failed to deliver victory in the 2023 elections if it possessed the grassroots support being claimed?
The Ward Chairmen maintained that Mustapha’s departure was a personal political decision by him to serve his interest, rather than the electorate in Kwara Central, insisting that the APC structure remains “fully intact, vibrant and united” behind AbdulRazaq.
He said: “I urge the people of Kwara Central not to be distracted by what he described as the political tourism of individuals who prioritise personal comfort over collective progress.The APC remains the only party that puts the welfare of the ordinary Kwarans at the centre of governance.”
The Ward Chairmen passed a vote of confidence in AbdulRazaq, commending his leadership and what they described as efforts to move Kwara from an era of “consumption to an era of investment, infrastructure and inclusion.”
They hinged their support for Danladi’s gubernatorial candidacy on his legislative leadership, which, they noted, had complemented the governor’s executive vision and contributed to the stability and progress of the State.
The Chairmen pledged to work “day and night” to secure an overwhelming victory for all APC candidates in the 2027 elections, including AbdulRazaq as the party’s Kwara Central senatorial candidate.
