The Political support for the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections has received a boost, as stakeholders in Kwara Central reaffirmed their loyalty to the party and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
NPO Reports that this follows the recent defection of Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central in the National Assembly, from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday, stakeholders from Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Mustapha’s home ward, alongside APC ward chairmen in Kwara Central, said the senator’s decision would not affect their allegiance to the ruling party.
The groups also passed a vote of confidence in AbdulRazaq and pledged their support for the party’s 2027 governorship candidate and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.
Addressing journalists on behalf of stakeholders in Gambari Ward 1 and other communities across the district, the ward councillor, Ibrahim Salah, said the decision was influenced by what he described as the administration’s achievements across the state.
According to him, improvements in roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare and economic empowerment had made the impact of the government visible to residents.
“We are not here because of politics. We are here because the dividends of democracy are now visible, measurable and touching the lives of ordinary Kwara people, especially the good people of the Central Senatorial District,” Salah said.
He stated that there was no reason for the stakeholders to abandon the APC or the AbdulRazaq administration.
Salah cited the completion of 113.57 kilometres of roads in Kwara Central, alongside other infrastructure projects, as evidence of the government’s intervention in the district.
He also highlighted the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, which he said had provided assistance to businesses, young people and vulnerable residents.
The stakeholders consequently endorsed AbdulRazaq’s administration and urged the governor to maintain the pace of development by completing ongoing projects and strengthening empowerment programmes targeting youths and women.
“We hereby pass a vote of confidence on His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his visionary, inclusive and impactful governance,” Salah said.
They further pledged to work for the success of the APC and its candidates in the 2027 elections, including Danladi-Salihu in the governorship contest and AbdulRazaq in the Kwara Central senatorial race.
Also speaking, Baba Abdullahi, Chairman of Gambari Ward II and leader of APC ward chairmen in the state, said Mustapha’s exit would not undermine the party’s grassroots structure in Kwara Central.
Abdullahi, who spoke for the 51 APC ward chairmen in the senatorial district, described the ward leadership as the backbone of the party’s mobilisation efforts.
He disputed claims that Mustapha’s victory in the 2023 election was achieved independently of the party’s grassroots structure.
“We are the engine room of the APC in Kwara Central. We are the ones who walk the streets, visit the households, and mobilise the voters who ensured the victory of our party, including Senator Saliu Mustapha, in the 2023 general elections,” he said.
Abdullahi described the senator’s defection as an individual political decision, insisting that it did not represent the position of APC members and voters across the district.
“Senator Mustapha’s departure is a personal choice, not a reflection of the aspirations or desires of the grassroots electorate,” he said.
He assured the party leadership that the APC structure remained intact and committed to the 2027 political project.
The ward chairmen also urged residents of Kwara Central to remain focused on the development agenda of the state government, rather than being distracted by individual political movements ahead of the elections.
“The APC remains the only party that puts the welfare of the ordinary Kwarans at the centre of governance,” Abdullahi said.