Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), deepening the internal crisis within the ruling party in Kwara State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

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. The letter was made public on Friday, August 21.

The development comes only weeks after Mustapha contested the APC governorship primary in Kwara State and lost the party’s ticket to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu. 

His departure is potentially significant for the APC because Mustapha is not only a serving senator but also one of the prominent political figures associated with the faction of party stakeholders that has challenged the manner in which the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate emerged.

Mustapha: ‘This is not a decision I have taken lightly’

Explaining his decision, Mustapha said he arrived at the decision after weeks of consultations with political stakeholders, supporters, constituents in Kwara Central and other residents of the state.

He said his decision was guided by what he described as his longstanding commitment to people, principles and purpose, arguing that political loyalty should not require a politician to abandon those convictions.

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly. It follows weeks of extensive consultations and engagements with relevant stakeholders, my supporters, constituents across Kwara Central Senatorial District, and well-meaning Kwarans,” Mustapha said.

He added that he could no longer remain on a political platform where he believed the direction of the party was no longer sufficiently aligned with his 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. Where the path of a political platform no longer sufficiently aligns with these convictions and the aspirations of the people one represents, the honourable thing to do is to chart a new course,” he stated.

Mustapha, however, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC for the relationships and experiences he gained while belonging to the party.

He also sought to reassure his constituents that leaving the APC would not diminish his commitment to representing them.

“To my constituents, supporters, political associates and stakeholders in Kwara State and beyond, I assure you that while my political platform may change, my principles, my purpose and my commitment to the people remain unchanged,” he said.

Exit follows bitter APC governorship primary

Mustapha’s resignation comes against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute over the APC’s handling of its governorship contest in Kwara.

The senator was among 10 APC governorship aspirants who earlier raised concerns about the party’s leadership and the process that produced Danladi-Salihu as the party’s candidate for 2027.

The group petitioned President Tinubu in June, warning that internal disagreements could weaken the APC’s chances in the state if they were not addressed. Mustapha was listed alongside other prominent aspirants, including Yahaya Seriki Gambari, Yahaya Oloriegbe, Bashir Bolarinwa and Dele Belgore. 

The controversy centred largely on the emergence of Danladi-Salihu, with the aggrieved aspirants questioning the process and alleging that the Speaker had been favoured by the party’s leadership.

The APC, however, proceeded to recognise Danladi-Salihu as its governorship candidate, while Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq subsequently presented him to the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, as the party’s flag bearer. 

The disagreement has since evolved from a dispute over a primary election into a broader contest over the political direction and control of the APC in Kwara.

Mustapha’s resignation comes after failed political options

The senator’s exit also follows reports that he had been considering his political options after failing to secure the APC governorship ticket.

Earlier this month, reports emerged that Mustapha was considering a move to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with sources indicating that discussions were underway over a possible PDP senatorial ticket for him in Kwara Central. 

The Guardian also reported on August 17 that the PDP had opened discussions with Mustapha and was considering giving him its Kwara Central senatorial ticket for the 2027 election. The report linked the discussions to meetings involving former Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki and members of the aggrieved APC bloc. 

Mustapha’s resignation therefore does not necessarily represent the end of his political journey ahead of 2027. Rather, it could mark the beginning of a new alignment in Kwara politics.

His next political move will be closely watched, particularly whether he joins the PDP, aligns with another political platform or works with the broader group of aggrieved APC stakeholders seeking to challenge the party’s current structure in the state.

The wider Kwara APC crisis

Mustapha’s exit is particularly important because the dispute within the Kwara APC predates his resignation.

The party’s governorship contest became one of the most contentious APC primary battles ahead of the 2027 elections. Kwara reportedly had the highest number of APC governorship aspirants among the states where the party conducted its primaries, reflecting the intensity of the competition for the ticket. 

Following Danladi-Salihu’s emergence, 10 aspirants and party stakeholders publicly challenged the outcome and appealed to the national leadership to intervene.

The aggrieved group subsequently operated under the Kwara APC G15, with members describing their campaign as an attempt to restore what they considered the original principles of the political movement that produced the APC’s historic defeat of the Saraki political structure in 2019. 

The dispute has also attracted attempts at reconciliation. In June, APC youths appealed to the aggrieved aspirants to set aside their differences and support Danladi-Salihu, arguing that internal unity was essential to retaining political control of the state in 2027. 

Whether those reconciliation efforts can now succeed following Mustapha’s resignation remains uncertain.

Why Mustapha’s exit matters for 2027

The political significance of the resignation extends beyond the loss of one APC member.

Mustapha represents Kwara Central, one of the state’s most politically important senatorial districts. His decision could influence calculations around the 2027 Senate race, the governorship contest and the broader struggle for control of the state’s political machinery.

It also creates a potentially complicated situation for the APC because Mustapha remains a serving senator even though he has now left the party on whose platform he won his mandate.

The immediate question is therefore not simply where Mustapha will go next, but how many political actors and grassroots supporters may follow him.

His resignation could test whether the APC’s current leadership can contain the grievances that emerged after the governorship primary or whether the dispute will produce a wider realignment before the 2027 election.

For the opposition, particularly the PDP, the development could provide an opportunity to strengthen its position in a state where political alliances have historically played an important role in determining electoral outcomes.

However, it would be premature to assume that Mustapha’s resignation automatically translates into an electoral advantage for any opposition party. The real impact will depend on the structure he builds after leaving the APC, the political platform he eventually adopts and the extent to which his supporters remain aligned with him.

A test for APC’s internal cohesion

The resignation also presents a broader political test for the APC.

The party is preparing for a presidential re-election campaign for Tinubu while simultaneously attempting to consolidate its control across states ahead of the 2027 elections.

Internal disputes over nominations could therefore become a significant challenge if aggrieved aspirants decide that their political interests are better served outside the ruling party.

Kwara is particularly important because the APC has enjoyed significant political strength in the state since 2019.

The party’s ability to resolve the current dispute without losing key political figures will be an important indicator of whether it can maintain that advantage.

For Mustapha, meanwhile, the decision represents a major political gamble.

He has left the ruling party at a time when political alignments for 2027 are being rapidly formed. His next move could determine whether his resignation becomes an isolated protest against the APC’s internal politics or the beginning of a much larger political realignment in Kwara.

For now, one thing is clear: the APC’s crisis in Kwara has entered a new phase.