Saliu Mustapha Resigns From APC Amid Kwara 2027 Political Realignment
ISSN: 2354-4481
By Grace Chidimma Ibe
ILORIN, KWARA STATE — Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), barely months to the 2027 general elections.
Mustapha announced his resignation in a letter dated August 14, 2026, addressed to the APC Chairman of Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State. The letter was made public on Friday.
The senator said his decision followed weeks of extensive consultations with political stakeholders, supporters, constituents and other well-meaning Kwarans.
According to him, the decision was not taken lightly but was based on his assessment of recent developments within the APC in Kwara State and their alignment with his political principles and the aspirations of the people he represents.
“As a politician, I have always believed that politics must be about people, principles and purpose,” Mustapha said, adding that where a political platform no longer sufficiently aligns with those convictions and the aspirations of the people, “the honourable thing to do is to chart a new course.”
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC for the relationships and experiences he gained during his years in the party.
Mustapha also assured his constituents and supporters that his decision to leave the APC would not affect his commitment to Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria.
“While my political platform may change, my principles, my purpose and my commitment to the people remain unchanged,” he said.
Political Background
Mustapha is a long-standing figure in Nigeria's progressive political movement. Before the formation of the APC, he was a prominent member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), where he served as National Deputy Chairman. The CPC later merged with other opposition parties to form the APC in 2013, making Mustapha one of the political actors associated with the party's formative years.
He also previously served in leadership positions within the Progressive Action Congress and the All Nigeria Peoples Party before becoming involved in the CPC.
Mustapha contested for the APC national chairmanship in 2022 but did not emerge as the party's national chairman. His political career has also included an earlier bid for the Kwara governorship.
In 2023, he won election to the Senate to represent Kwara Central, succeeding Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe. In the 10th National Assembly, Mustapha became Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, a position he has held during the current legislative session.
2027 Governorship Contest
Mustapha's resignation comes against the backdrop of heightened political tension within the Kwara APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The senator had sought the APC governorship ticket in the party's 2026 primary after obtaining the necessary nomination forms. However, the party's May 22 governorship primary produced Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu as its candidate.
Danladi-Salihu secured 94,990 votes, defeating Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, who polled 41,700 votes, and Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, who scored 22,118 votes.
The outcome subsequently triggered complaints from several aspirants and intensified disagreements among sections of the party in the state. Mustapha later became associated with the G15, also referred to as The Otoge Progressives (TOP), a group of aggrieved APC stakeholders.
His political future within the party also became uncertain after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was reported to have emerged as the APC's preferred candidate for the Kwara Central senatorial seat in 2027.
There have also been reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is interested in Mustapha and may offer him its Kwara Central senatorial ticket. However, Mustapha has not announced a new political party in his resignation statement.
His resignation therefore marks a significant political development in Kwara State and could further reshape alignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
