More than 50 All Progressives Congress (APC) ward chairmen in Kwara Central have rejected suggestions that Senator Saliu Mustapha’s defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could weaken the ruling party’s grassroots support ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ward leaders described Mustapha’s decision to leave the APC as an individual political choice, insisting that the party’s organisational structure across Kwara Central remains strong.
The chairmen, led by Baba Gobir Abdullahi, chairman of Gambari Ward II and head of the APC ward chairmen across the 193 wards in Kwara State, reaffirmed their allegiance to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
They also pledged to mobilise voters and party supporters for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gobir described ward chairmen as the “engine room” of the APC in Kwara Central, noting that they play a central role in grassroots mobilisation and engagement with voters.
He also disputed claims that Mustapha’s victory in the 2023 Kwara Central senatorial election was achieved primarily through his personal political influence.
According to him, the victory reflected the combined efforts of the APC, the leadership of AbdulRazaq and party members working at the grassroots.
Gobir maintained that Mustapha’s defection did not reflect the position of voters across Kwara Central, insisting that the APC remained “fully intact, vibrant and united” behind the governor.
“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.
The ward leaders subsequently passed a vote of confidence in AbdulRazaq and endorsed the APC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi.
They also pledged to work towards securing victory for the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
However, Mustapha’s camp has rejected the attempt to downplay the political implications of his departure from the APC.
A senior aide to the senator, Alabi Abdulkareem, argued that the response from APC members demonstrated that the defection had unsettled the party.
“Since Senator Saliu Mustapha left the APC, all of them, from top to bottom, have lost sleep. As at last count, 13 persons have gone on local radios to react to his defection. Three have gone on national TVs. At least, four different emergency press conferences have been called, including this latest one,” he said.
Abdulkareem questioned why the APC would require repeated public responses if Mustapha’s departure had little political consequence.
He argued that the volume of reactions had instead reinforced his camp’s view that the senator’s defection had created concern within the ruling party.
According to him, support for Mustapha also extends into the APC’s grassroots structure, with more party members allegedly sympathetic to the senator.
He further claimed that more than half of the APC ward chairmen still remaining in Kwara Central were “fully with us in spirit and soul”, although they continue to retain their physical presence within the party.
The competing claims highlight the political significance both camps attach to grassroots support as Kwara’s political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
While the APC ward leaders insist that Mustapha’s departure will not disrupt the party’s structure, his camp maintains that the reactions from party officials indicate otherwise.
