- Senator Saliu Mustapha left the APC for the PDP, insisting he has not abandoned President Tinubu personally
- Mustapha said the G-15 and the elder caucus feel alienated by how Kwara Governor AbdulRazaq has managed the APC in the state
- The defection adds fresh pressure on APC leadership in Kwara ahead of the 2027 general elections
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja – Senator Saliu Mustapha has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the move is not a rejection of President Bola Tinubu but a response to how Kwara State Governor Abdul Rahman AbdulRazaq has run the APC within the state.
The senator said that the G-15, a group of prominent APC figures in Kwara, along with the party’s elder caucus, feel shut out from the decision-making structures that AbdulRazaq controls.
Source: Twitter
Mustapha made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday, August 21, 2026.
“I have not dumped President Tinubu,”
Mustapha said, drawing a clear line between his personal loyalty to the presidency and his discontent with how the party is governed at the state level.
Kwara APC divisions deepen
The defection signals a widening crack inside the APC in Kwara State, with the G-15 bloc emerging as a focal point of internal resistance against the governor’s grip on the party structure.
Mustapha’s remarks suggest the group believes it has been systematically sidelined rather than engaged by AbdulRazaq’s administration of party affairs.
The development comes as political parties across Nigeria are reconfiguring alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections, making high-profile exits from the ruling party particularly significant.
Reactions as Senator Mustapha joins PDP
Nigerians following the story took to social media to share their views. @aj_umoh wrote:
“This sounds less like abandoning Tinubu and more like a growing internal rift within the APC in Kwara. The party’s leadership will need to address those grievances before they widen further.”
@JajiKazeemAttah disagreed, writing:
“He already abandoned Tinubu with his defection.”
@IlorinCityBoy was blunt about the group at the centre of the dispute, writing:
“The G15 area set of losers.”
@uyomthg questioned the loyalty of those still backing the president:
“Why many of them dey support Tinubu Dem dey fear?”
@BrightOhaeri struck a more measured tone: “It’s a normal thing in politics.”
@jiggy_banton offered a harsher verdict, writing:
“Bunch of selfish people.”
Former APC senator gets PDP Kwara ticket
Recall that Senator Mustapha picked the PDP senatorial nomination form on Friday, hours after announcing his resignation from the APC
Mustapha’s move sets up a direct 2027 electoral clash with Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who holds the APC ticket for the same district.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki and opposition stakeholders were reportedly involved in courting the senator to the PDP.
APC Senator Mustapha tenders resignation letter
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senator Saliu Mustapha announced his exit from the APC in a post on his Instagram page late Thursday, August 20, 2026.
Mustapha said recent developments within the Kwara state chapter of the APC prompted his decision to leave the ruling party.
The resignation comes as political realignments intensify in Kwara ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Source: Legit.ng