Kwara APC loses 12 ward executives after senator’s exit

The All Progressives Congress in Kwara State has lost 12 executive members in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area, following the exit of the senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, from the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The 12 officials, including the ward chairman and secretary, resigned from their positions and withdrew their membership of the APC within hours of Mustapha’s defection from the ruling party.

The latest development followed the separate resignations of the ward chairman, Aliyu Abdulhakeem, and the secretary, Abdulwaheed Adanla, who both communicated their decisions to the APC Chairman in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Habib Ajibola, on Friday.

Ten other members of the ward executive subsequently tendered a joint resignation letter obtained by The PUNCH on Saturday.

“We, the concerned executive members of Gambari Ward 1 hereby formally resign from our posts as well as membership of the All Progressives Congress,” the executives said.

They added, “The decision was reached after careful consideration for the best interest of our beloved ward. We thank the party for the platform given to serve.”

The 10 officials are the Treasurer, Olayinka Odunlami; Auditor-General, Kelani Kola Saheed; Legal Adviser, Bube Lukman; and Assistant Auditor-General, Adebayo Kazeem.

Others are Assistant Treasurer, Muhammed Yunus Idowu; Assistant Youth Leader, Ganiyu Taiye Ofide; Assistant Women Leader, Alhaja Iyalanki; Assistant Secretary, Muhammed Abdullahi O.; Assistant Financial Secretary, Olabowu Tosho; and Assistant Organising Secretary, Umar Abubakar Hajj.

The executives said they would join Mustapha in the Peoples Democratic Party and align with what they described as an emerging “rainbow coalition” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In his resignation letter, Abdulhakeem said he was stepping down from his position as ward chairman and withdrawing his membership of the APC.

“After careful consideration and due reflection, I have decided to step down from my membership of the party and my position as Ward Chairman for personal reasons best known to me,” he said.

The former ward chairman thanked party members, executive members, elders and other stakeholders for their support during his tenure.

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“I remain grateful for the experiences and relationships built during my time in the party,” Abdulhakeem added.

Adanla, in a separate resignation letter dated Friday, also announced his withdrawal from the party and his position as ward secretary.

Adanla said his decision followed “careful consideration” and expressed appreciation to the party for the opportunity to serve.

“During my tenure, I did my best to uphold the constitution of the party and to advance the interests of APC in Gambari Ward 1,” he said.

The former secretary also pledged to hand over party documents, records, stamps and other properties in his possession to the appropriate authorities.

“Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from both office and membership,” Adanla added.

The resignations came after Mustapha announced his decision to leave the APC on Thursday through a resignation letter dated August 14 and addressed to the chairman of Gambari Ward 1.

Mustapha said his decision followed consultations with constituents, supporters and other stakeholders, citing recent developments within the Kwara APC and concerns over the party’s leadership in the state.

The senator subsequently joined the PDP and picked the party’s ticket to seek re-election as the senator representing Kwara Central in the 2027 general elections.

The departure of the 12 ward executives marks one of the immediate political consequences of Mustapha’s exit, although it remains unclear whether other APC officials and supporters across Kwara Central will follow him out of the ruling party.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the development could further reshape political calculations in Kwara Central, where Mustapha’s move to the PDP has set the stage for a potentially keen contest for the senatorial seat.