The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has officially unveiled former All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Salihu Mustapha as its Kwara Central senatorial candidate for the 2027 elections.
Mustapha resigned from the APC last week following the party’s May 2026 post-primaries crisis in the state.
Presenting the PDP flag to the philanthropist-turned-politician in Ilorin, the state capital, the party’s chairman, Isa Bawa Adamu, said Mustapha had been granted a waiver to contest the 2027 National Assembly election on the party’s platform.
‘By the grace of God, you have been granted a waiver to contest the 2027 National Assembly election under the banner of PDP,’ Adamu said.
He added, ‘I have the privilege and honour, on behalf of our national leader, Senator Bukola Saraki, and members of the state working committee, to officially present to you Senator Salihu Mustapha, who is going to fly the flag as the PDP senatorial candidate in Kwara Central.’
In his remarks, Mustapha urged PDP members and supporters to work tirelessly to defeat Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his candidates in the 2027 elections.
‘I want to use this opportunity to assure and guarantee you that we shall work tirelessly together to make sure we deliver victory for the party. On the other hand, I want to appreciate the warm reception the PDP has given us so far,’ he said.
Mustapha expressed hope that the party would be celebrating electoral victory by the same period in 2027.
‘I pray and hope that sometime around this time next year we will be celebrating victory. I also want to assure the leadership and members of the PDP that, better and stronger together, we shall accomplish and experience victory after the election,’ he said.
He said his defection was also aimed at strengthening ties with PDP members and consolidating efforts to improve the state.
‘Our coming here today is to familiarise ourselves with every member of the party and to also assure the party of our readiness to continue with the good work we are already doing,’ he said.
Mustapha stressed that his move to the PDP was significant because he was joining the party as a serving senator rather than merely as a candidate.
‘We are celebrating with PDP today that, in me, as a serving senator, you have an elected Senator in PDP, not just as a candidate, but as a serving senator,’ he said.
He described the political realignment as in the interest of Kwara State, saying the partnership aimed to prevent the state from being taken for granted and to take it to the ‘Promised Land’.