2027: Kwara APC leaders dismiss Mustapha’s defection, back AbdulRazaq
Stakeholders in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, and the 51 ward chairmen of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara Central Senatorial District have dismissed the defection of Senator Saliu Mustapha from the ruling party.
They declared their continued support for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly and APC governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.
The groups, while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Ilorin, the state capital, also passed votes of confidence in AbdulRazaq, saying the governor’s administration had recorded visible progress in infrastructure, urban renewal, education, healthcare and economic empowerment.
Mustapha, who hails from Gambari Ward 1, recently left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Councillor representing Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East LG council, Ibrahim Salah, spoke on behalf of stakeholders in the ward and other communities across Kwara Central.
Salah said the stakeholders’ decision to reaffirm their support for the AbdulRazaq-led administration was based on what they described as the impact of the government’s projects and programmes on residents.
“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 Kwara people, especially the good people of the Central Senatorial District,” he said.
He said the group had no reason to abandon the APC or withdraw its support for the governor.
“We don’t have any reason whatsoever to leave the ruling party and the administration that has given so much to us as a people,” he added.
Salah listed road construction, other infrastructure projects and initiatives, among the achievements of the administration, saying 113.57 kilometres of roads had been completed in Kwara Central, among others.
Salah particularly referenced the activities of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, saying its intervention schemes had provided support for businesses, youths and vulnerable residents.
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He subsequently announced a vote of confidence in AbdulRazaq and called on him to sustain the pace of development by completing ongoing projects and expanding empowerment programmes for youths and women.
“We hereby pass a vote of confidence on His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his visionary, inclusive and impactful governance,” Salah said.
The stakeholders also pledged to support the APC and its candidates in the 2027 general elections, including Danladi in the governorship race, and AbdulRazaq in the Kwara Central senatorial election.
Speaking separately, the Chairman, Gambari Ward II and Chairman of the APC ward chairmen across the 193 wards in the state, Baba Abdullahi, assured that Mustapha’s defection would not weaken the party’s structure in Kwara Central.
Abdullahi, who spoke on behalf of the 51 APC ward chairmen in the district, described the chairmen as the “engine room” of the party’s grassroots mobilisation.
Abdullahi rejected suggestions that Mustapha’s victory in the 2023 election was solely a personal achievement, saying it resulted from the collective efforts of the party, its grassroots members and the leadership of AbdulRazaq.
“We are the engine room of the APC in Kwara Central. We are the ones who walk the streets, visit the households, and mobilise the voters who ensured the victory of our party, including Senator Saliu Mustapha, in the 2023 general elections,” he said.
The APC ward chairmen leader described Mustapha’s departure as a personal political decision, maintaining that it did not reflect the aspirations of voters or party members across Kwara Central.
“Senator Mustapha’s departure is a personal choice, not a reflection of the aspirations or desires of the grassroots electorate,” Gobir said.
“He leaves alone. The structure of the APC remains fully intact, vibrant and united behind our leader.”
Gobir urged residents of Kwara Central not to be distracted by the senator’s political move, insisting that the ruling party remained focused on its development agenda.
“Do not be distracted by the political tourism of individuals who prioritise their personal comfort over your collective progress. The APC remains the only party that puts the welfare of the ordinary Kwarans at the centre of governance,” he said.
