Kwara Senator Saliu Mustapha Defects to PDP, Clinches 2027 Ticket

Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central in the National Assembly, has formally exited the All Progressives Congress and immediately joined the Peoples Democratic Party. The defection occurred over two days this week, with Mustapha announcing his APC resignation on Thursday evening before receiving the PDP senatorial ticket from the party's Kwara State leadership on Friday.

Mustapha cited recent developments within the ruling party as his reason for leaving, according to his resignation statement. Reports indicate he was among aggrieved APC members dissatisfied with how the party handled its 2027 gubernatorial primary process in Kwara State.

His switch to the PDP positions him as the opposition party's standard-bearer for the Kwara Central senatorial race in the 2027 general election. The move sets up a direct contest between Mustapha and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the APC's senatorial candidate for the same district.

During a Friday television appearance, Mustapha expressed confidence in his prospects, stating he would secure electoral victory well before the final results are announced. The political realignment reflects broader tensions within Kwara's ruling party hierarchy ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.

Mustapha also claimed that former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who leads the PDP in Kwara State, supports President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid despite his position in the opposition party. Mustapha sought to clarify that his own transition to the PDP should not be interpreted as opposition to the president's second-term ambitions, emphasizing that party membership and national political support operate on different planes.