The senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, has picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form to contest the senatorial seat in the 2027 elections.
The development comes shortly after Mustapha resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), ending his membership of the party.
A video circulated on Friday showed the senator receiving the PDP nomination form for the Kwara Central senatorial ticket from Issa Bawa, the party’s state chairman.
“The journey continues… Today, I begin a new chapter with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as I pick up the party’s ticket to seek re-election as the Senator representing Kwara Central in 2027,” Mustapha said in a post on X.
“I am grateful to the leadership and members of the PDP for the confidence placed in me, and to the good people of Kwara Central for their continued trust and support.
“Together, we move forward with greater commitment and determination to serve. Power to the People!”
Mustapha had earlier resigned from the APC after failing to secure the party’s ticket for the 2027 Kwara governorship election and facing uncertainty over his return to the Senate.
In his resignation letter addressed to the APC ward chairman in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area, the senator said his decision followed “careful reflection and extensive consultations” with his constituents and key stakeholders.
Mustapha, a founding member of the APC, also criticised recent developments within the party’s Kwara chapter, saying they had departed from the principles of unity and internal democracy upon which the party was established.
His move to the PDP is expected to set up a direct contest with AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Kwara State governor, who recently emerged as the APC’s preferred candidate for the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
AbdulRazaq was reportedly the only aspirant to purchase the APC nomination and expression-of-interest forms for the senatorial ticket. He is therefore positioned to challenge for Mustapha’s seat after completing his second term as governor in May 2027.
Before leaving the APC, Mustapha had obtained the party’s nomination form to contest the 2027 governorship election and participated in its primary held on May 22.
Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, won the primary with 94,990 votes. Abdulfatai Seriki came second with 41,700 votes, while Bashir Bolarinwa polled 22,118 votes.
Mustapha later joined calls for a review of the APC primary alongside the two other serving senators from Kwara.
In June, Mustapha, Oyelola Ashiru and Sadiq Umar called for urgent reconciliation within the party, citing what they described as the exclusion of legitimate stakeholders from key decision-making processes.