The Senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his failure to secure the party’s governorship ticket and return to the Senate.
Mustapha announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the APC ward chairman of Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The senator said the decision followed careful reflection and consultations with his constituents and key stakeholders.
A founding member of the APC, Mustapha said recent developments within the party, particularly under its leadership in Kwara State, had departed from the principles of unity and internal democracy upon which the party was founded.
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He said political leadership should be based on integrity, competence, accountability and commitment to the collective interest of the people.
“The current leadership of the party in Kwara State have fallen short of these standards, and this have eroded my confidence in them,” he said.
Mustapha, however, said his resignation would not affect his commitment to the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria.
“I remain fully committed to serving the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria with integrity, dedication and in the best interest of humanity,” he added.
Failed Governorship Bid
Mustapha had obtained the APC nomination form to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kwara State and participated in the party’s primary held on May 22.
Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, won the primary with 94,990 votes.
He defeated Abdulfatai Seriki, who scored 41,700 votes, while Bashir Bolarinwa came third with 22,118 votes.
Mustapha later joined calls for a review of the primary alongside the two other serving Kwara senators, Oyelola Ashiru and Sadiq Umar.
In June, the three senators called for urgent reconciliation within the party, alleging that legitimate stakeholders had been excluded from key decision-making processes.
AbdulRazaq Emerges for Kwara Central Senate Seat
Mustapha’s resignation also comes after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq emerged as the APC’s preferred candidate for the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
AbdulRazaq was reportedly the only aspirant to have purchased the party’s nomination and expression-of-interest forms for the ticket.
He is expected to seek the Senate seat after completing his second term as governor in May 2027.
Mustapha has not openly announced his next political move but there are speculations that he may be considering joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest against AbdulRazaq.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.