By Ghazali Ibrahim
Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following a prolonged crisis within the party in Kwara State.
Mustapha, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, announced his resignation in a letter available online on Friday.
The senator said the decision followed weeks of consultations with stakeholders, supporters, constituents and other well-meaning Kwarans.
“This is not a decision I have taken lightly,” Mustapha said, adding that his decision was based on the need to align his political platform with his principles and the aspirations of the people he represents.
He expressed appreciation to the APC leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the relationships and experiences he gained during his time in the party.
Mustapha also assured his constituents that his decision to leave the APC would not affect his commitment to serving them.
“I remain steadfast in my service to the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria at large,” he said.
The development comes after Mustapha suffered setbacks in the APC’s recent political contests in Kwara.
He had contested for the party’s governorship ticket but lost to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu-Yakubu Danladi.
He also reportedly lost his bid for the APC senatorial ticket to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is expected to represent the party in the Kwara Central senatorial race.
Sources told Vanguard that Mustapha is considering joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he could seek the party’s ticket to contest for Kwara Central Senatorial District in the 2027 elections against AbdulRazaq.
His resignation is also believed to be linked to alleged irregularities surrounding the APC primaries in the state.
Although the party constituted a reconciliation committee to address grievances arising from the primaries, the effort reportedly failed to resolve the disputes, with some aggrieved members choosing to leave the APC and pursue their political ambitions under other platforms.
Mustapha’s expected move to the PDP could therefore reshape the political contest in Kwara Central ahead of the 2027 general elections.
