The stakeholders and ward chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kwara Central district have dismissed Senator Saliu Mustapha’s defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring their continued support for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the APC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi.
The declaration was made separately by Hon. Ibrahim Sulyman Salah, councillor representing Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area, and Baba Gobir Abdullahi, chairman of Gambari Ward II and chairman of the APC ward chairmen across the 193 wards in Kwara State.
It is recalled that Senator Mustapha hails from Gambari Ward 1 in the district.
Salah spoke on behalf of stakeholders from Gambari Ward 1 and other communities across Kwara Central, while Gobir represented the 51 APC ward chairmen in the senatorial district.
According to him, the stakeholders were not driven by political considerations but by what they described as the visible impact of the AbdulRazaq administration across Kwara.
‘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 Kwarans,’ he said.
He cited road construction, urban renewal, healthcare, education and economic empowerment among areas where the administration had, in their assessment, made significant progress.
According to Salah, 113.57 kilometres of roads had been completed in Kwara Central, while another 65.5 kilometres were ongoing.
He said the initiatives had supported businesses, youths and vulnerable residents.
Salah subsequently announced a vote of confidence in AbdulRazaq and called on the governor to sustain the pace of development, particularly by completing ongoing projects and expanding empowerment programmes for youths and women.
The stakeholders also pledged their support for AbdulRazaq, Danladi and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Speaking separately, Baba Gobir Abdullahi, chairman of Gambari Ward II and chairman of the APC ward chairmen across the 193 wards in Kwara State, reaffirmed the loyalty of the 51 APC ward chairmen in Kwara Central to AbdulRazaq and dismissed Mustapha’s defection as incapable of weakening the party.
Gobir described the ward chairmen as the ‘engine room’ of the APC in Kwara Central, saying they were directly responsible for grassroots mobilisation and voter engagement.
He rejected the suggestion that the senator’s 2023 electoral victory was a personal achievement, arguing that it was secured through the collective efforts of the APC, AbdulRazaq’s leadership and grassroots members.
Gobir said Mustapha’s departure was therefore a personal political decision rather than a reflection of the aspirations of voters across Kwara Central.
Gobir also urged the people of Kwara Central not to be distracted by the ‘political tourism’ of individuals who prioritise their personal comfort over the collective progress of the people.
He insisted that the APC remained the party committed to placing the welfare of ordinary Kwarans at the centre of governance, urging voters to remain focused on the development recorded under the AbdulRazaq administration.
‘Do not be distracted by the political tourism of individuals who prioritise their personal comfort over your collective progress. The APC remains the only party that puts the welfare of the ordinary Kwarans at the centre of governance,’ he said.