The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has described Senator Saliu Mustapha’s resignation from the All Progressives Congress as a major blow to the ruling party.
The opposition party also accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of presiding over a widening leadership crisis ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP said the departure of Mustapha, a founding member of the APC and serving senator representing Kwara Central, had further exposed what it called growing discontent among influential members of the ruling party.
The opposition party’s reaction came on Friday through its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, shortly after Mustapha formally announced his withdrawal from the APC.
Adewara said the senator’s exit should not be dismissed as an isolated political development, arguing that it reflected deeper disagreements within the party in the state.
“The resignation of Senator Saliu Mustapha is not an ordinary political development; it is a loud confirmation that the leadership crisis in the APC has reached a dangerous and irreversible stage,” Adewara said.
He accused AbdulRazaq of failing to maintain unity within the party and retain key political figures who had contributed to its growth.
“Governor AbdulRazaq has failed his party just as he has failed the people of Kwara State. He now presides over a party that is fatally fractured, internally weakened and increasingly rejected by ordinary Kwarans,” he said.
According to the PDP spokesman, the latest development had raised fresh questions about the ability of the governor to manage competing interests within the ruling party as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
Adewara alleged that prominent political figures in the state had increasingly been treated as rivals by the governor rather than as stakeholders whose influence could strengthen the party.
“The tragedy of the AbdulRazaq-led APC is that it has been led by a governor who appears uncomfortable with the political growth and stature of other prominent Kwara people, treating perceived political competitors as threats that must be eliminated from his political journey at all costs,” he said.
The opposition party also linked Mustapha’s resignation to the recent departure of other APC stakeholders, including the Haske of Lafiagi, Ambassador Kolo Jiya, and some party leaders from Kwara North.
“The movement of key stakeholders, such as Ambassador Kolo Baba Jiya, is proof that even those who helped build the APC have lost faith in Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership,” Adewara said.
The PDP further mocked the ruling party, likening its current situation to a vehicle losing control and heading towards an uncertain destination.
“What is happening to the Kwara APC today is not just political migration. It is the inevitable collapse of a party built on lies, deceit, image laundering targeted at innocent families, and evil propaganda of 2019,” the statement said.
“When a house is built on quicksand, it does not take much for it to collapse,” it added.
The opposition party subsequently appealed to other APC members it claimed were dissatisfied with the party’s direction to consider leaving.
“We call on every distinguished Kwaran still trapped in the APC out of sheer reluctance to leave to summon courage and take the bold step now,” Adewara said.
“Leave the skidding APC vehicle before it lands you in a political dungeon,” he added.
Mustapha, who is also the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, announced his resignation in a letter dated August 14 and addressed to the chairman of the APC in Gambari Ward I, Ilorin East Local Government Area.
The senator, who was part of the political movement that produced the APC through the 2013 merger, said his decision followed extensive consultations with stakeholders, supporters and constituents across Kwara Central.
“Following careful considerations of the recent developments in the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, I have formally resigned my membership of the party in the state,” Mustapha said.
He stressed that his decision was not taken hastily, saying it was informed by his assessment of the direction of the party and its alignment with the interests of the people he represents.
“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.
Mustapha said his political philosophy remained centred on the people and that he could not remain on a platform whose current direction no longer sufficiently reflected his convictions.
“As a politician, I have always believed that politics must be about people, principles and purpose,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Despite his exit, Mustapha expressed appreciation to the APC leadership, particularly President Bola Tinubu, for the relationships and experiences he gained during his membership of the party.
“To the leadership of the APC, ably led by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I express my deepest gratitude for the relationships and experiences I have been afforded over the years,” he said.
The senator also assured his constituents that leaving the APC would not diminish his commitment to their interests.
“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,” he said.
“I remain steadfast in my service to the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria at large.”
Mustapha has yet to announce his next political destination, leaving his future alignment open as political parties begin positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Kwara APC spokesman, Babatunde Olawale, said the party had not yet taken an official position on the senator’s resignation.
He said the party would communicate its position when it was ready.
