Senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after failing to secure the party’s ticket for the 2027 governorship election and facing the prospect of losing his Senate seat.
Mustapha announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the APC ward chairman in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
He said the decision followed “careful reflection and extensive consultations” with his constituents and key stakeholders.
The senator, who is a founding member of the APC, said recent developments within the party, particularly under its leadership in Kwara, had deviated from the principles of unity and internal democracy upon which the party was established.
“I believe political leadership must be anchored on integrity, competence, accountability and a sincere commitment to the collective interest of the people,” he wrote in a statement announcing his decision.
“The current leadership of the party in Kwara State have fallen short of these standards, and this have eroded my confidence in them.”
Mustapha stressed that his resignation would not affect his commitment to his constituents or the people of Kwara State.
“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.
The senator had purchased the APC nomination form to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kwara and took part in the party’s primary election held on May 22.
Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, emerged victorious with 94,990 votes. He defeated Abdulfatai Seriki, who secured 41,700 votes, while Bashir Bolarinwa finished third with 22,118 votes.
Mustapha was later among the aspirants who called for a review of the party’s primary election, alongside the two other serving senators representing Kwara.
In June, Mustapha, Oyelola Ashiru and Sadiq Umar urged the APC to pursue urgent reconciliation, alleging that legitimate stakeholders had been excluded from important decision-making processes within the party.
His resignation also comes after AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara, 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 position, putting him in line to succeed Mustapha in the Senate after completing his second term as governor in May 2027.
The development has also fuelled speculation that Mustapha could join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contest against AbdulRazaq in the 2027 election.