A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, Prince Seun Odeyemi, has described the defection of the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Senator Salihu Mustapha, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP as a major political development that would strengthen the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Odeyemi, a PDP chieftain from Obbo-Ile Ward in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, likened Mustapha’s entry into the PDP to a football club signing Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, describing the senator as a ‘big fish’ and a politician whose presence would boost the party’s electoral fortunes.
Speaking with the Tribune, Odeyemi said the senator’s defection was one of the best things to have happened to the Kwara PDP since its defeat in the 2019 elections.
He said; ‘In football, it is like Kwara PDP has signed Lionel Messi. Salihu Mustapha’s entry into our party is one of the best things that has ever happened to the Kwara PDP since we lost the election in 2019. If someone like Senator Salihu Mustapha could join a party, that means the light is there. There is no doubt about that’.
The PDP chieftain said he initially doubted reports that Mustapha was planning to leave the APC, noting that the development had now become a reality.
According to him, ‘the former Senate President and leader of the Kwara PDP, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is a meticulous politician who had remained committed to rebuilding the party ahead of the 2027 elections’.
‘Our leader, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is a meticulous person. When the rumour of Salihu Mustapha coming to the Kwara PDP started making the rounds, we were skeptical about it. But now that he has officially defected to our party, I have no doubt that we are winning the election at all levels next year.
‘Salihu Mustapha is a powerful addition to the Kwara PDP and he is a big fish,’ the Obbo-Ile Ward PDP chieftain said.
Odeyemi also backed Senator Mustapha’s assertion that he would defeat his political rival, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, before noon on election day, describing the statement as an expression of confidence backed by the senator’s popularity and political antecedents.
He said: ‘Senator Salihu Mustapha’s claim that by or before noon on the day of next year’s senatorial election he would have defeated his APC rival, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is not a mere statement, but a fact. I say this because if you look at the 2023 election, Salihu Mustapha was the most popular candidate that the APC produced at all levels. What wins an election is popularity. He knows what he was saying.’
Odeyemi also said the senator had built considerable political goodwill and influence in Kwara Central, adding that his track record had made him one of the most popular politicians in the state.
‘Yes, before noon on the day of the election, he would have beaten the governor hands down. Mustapha is one of the finest politicians in Kwara State and one of the most popular. If you look at his antecedents, he has done a lot in Kwara Central,’ he added.
Speaking on the 2027 governorship election, Odeyemi expressed optimism that the PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Kale Kawu, would defeat the APC candidate, Yakub Salihu Danladi, at the poll.
He said the PDP was not intimidated by the fact that the APC was the incumbent party, arguing that the popularity of its candidate among the people would give it an advantage.
‘With my calculations and God on our side, our gubernatorial candidate, Engr. Kale Kawu, will also beat Yakub Salihu Danladi at the governorship poll. Forget the fact that APC is in power. The people of Kwara State love Kale Kawu. He has brought light to all the nooks and crannies of this state,’ the former Rivers State Revenue Officer stressed.
Odeyemi also dismissed insinuations that his empowerment programmes were politically motivated, saying his interventions were primarily aimed at giving back to society through his foundation.
The PDP House of Assembly aspirant in the 2023 election said his empowerment initiatives had benefited people beyond his immediate political ward and were not tied to his political ambitions.
‘My empowerment programme is beyond my personal ward. Each time I notice that someone has a challenge, I try to help. I have done empowerment programmes across all the 10 wards of Ekiti Local Government Area. The evidence is there. I dug boreholes for my community in Ora-Ayetoro. In Obbo-Ile, I have repaired more than four boreholes.
‘At every Christmas, I roll out empowerment programmes for my people throughout the 10 wards in Ekiti Local Government. I distribute food items, money and grinding machines, despite the fact that I am not occupying any political position. Helping the less privileged is inbuilt in me. I have a foundation through which we carry out these empowerment programmes. So, it is not about politics. I just love giving back to the society that made me,’ he said.
The politician also commended Dr. Bukola Saraki for what he described as his steadfastness and commitment to ensuring the PDP regains political power in Kwara State in 2027.
Odeyemi, who described Saraki as the best governor the state has ever produced, said his loyalty to the PDP was largely influenced by his admiration for the former governor and Senate President.
He said, ‘Even before the 2013 election, the Kwara APC had been trying to lure me into its fold, but I refused because of my love for Dr. Bukola Saraki. If you look at the deeds of all past governors in Kwara State, you will come to the conclusion that Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is the best governor Kwara State has ever produced. The facts are there.
‘He is the most intelligent governor we have ever produced. If you do random sampling in town, you will realise that Dr. Bukola Saraki is the best Senate President Nigeria has ever produced. So, I stayed in the PDP to emulate him, believing that we will also get there one day,’ the Ora-Ayetoro-born politician affirmed.