Kwara PDP Mocks AbdulRazaq, APC Over Mustapha’s Exit

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has mocked Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the ruling All Progressives Congress following the resignation of the senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, from the party.

The PDP, in a statement issued on Friday by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, described Mustapha’s exit as a confirmation of what it called the deepening crisis and leadership failure within the Kwara APC.

Mustapha, a founding member of the APC and one of the key figures in the 2013 merger that produced the party, announced his resignation in a letter dated August 14 and addressed to the chairman of Gambari Ward I in Ilorin East Local Government Area.

The letter, which was made public and sighted by The PUNCH late Thursday, cited recent developments within the APC in Kwara State as the reason for his decision.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker’s next political move remains unknown, although there are growing speculations that he may consider aligning with the PDP.

Reacting to the development, the PDP said the resignation of such a prominent serving senator had further exposed divisions within the ruling party.

“Governor AbdulRazaq has failed his party just as he has failed the people of Kwara State.

“He now presides over a party that is fatally fractured, internally weakened and increasingly rejected by ordinary Kwarans. Beyond pretence and social media optics, the Kwara APC under Governor AbdulRazaq can no longer deny the obvious: its centre can no longer hold,” Adewara said.

The opposition party said Mustapha’s resignation was not an ordinary political development but an indication that the leadership crisis within the APC had reached what it described as a dangerous and irreversible stage.

“The resignation of Senator Saliu Mustapha is not an ordinary political development; it is a loud confirmation that the leadership crisis in the APC has reached a dangerous and irreversible stage.

“A governor who cannot unite and retain the prominent leaders within his own political household cannot be trusted with the larger responsibility of providing stable and inclusive leadership for a complex state like Kwara,” Adewara said.

The PDP also likened the Kwara APC to a “runaway car heading to doom,” accusing the governor of failing to provide effective leadership for the party.

“What is happening to the Kwara APC today is not just political migration. It is the inevitable collapse of a party built on lies, deceit, image laundering targeted at innocent families, and evil propaganda of 2019,” Adewara said.

“When a house is built on quicksand, it does not take much for it to collapse.”

The party further alleged that AbdulRazaq was uncomfortable with the political growth and stature of other prominent political figures in the state, whom it claimed were treated as competitors.

“The tragedy of the AbdulRazaq-led APC is that it has been led by a governor who appears uncomfortable with the political growth and stature of other prominent Kwara people, treating perceived political competitors as threats that must be eliminated from his political journey at all costs,” the PDP said.

Adewara also referenced the recent resignation of the Haske of Lafiagi, Ambassador Kolo Jiya, alongside other APC leaders from Kwara North, saying the development showed that prominent stakeholders were losing confidence in the governor’s leadership.

“The movement of key stakeholders, such as Ambassador Kolo Baba Jiya, is proof that even those who helped build the APC have lost faith in Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership,” he said.

The PDP called on other prominent members of the APC who, it said, remained in the party out of reluctance or fear of the stigma associated with leaving to follow Mustapha’s example.

“We call on every distinguished Kwaran still trapped in the APC out of sheer reluctance to leave to summon courage and take the bold step now.

“Leave the skidding APC vehicle before it lands you in a political dungeon,” Adewara said.

The opposition party maintained that under the leadership of the Waziri of Ilorin and President of the 8th Senate, Bukola Saraki, the PDP remained a viable platform for what it described as the restoration of purposeful leadership and shared prosperity in the state.

Mustapha, who is also the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, said his decision to resign from the APC was not taken lightly and followed weeks of consultations with stakeholders, supporters and constituents across Kwara Central.

“Following careful considerations of the recent developments in the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, I have formally resigned my membership of the party in the state.

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly. It follows weeks of extensive consultations and engagements with relevant stakeholders, my supporters, constituents across Kwara Central Senatorial District, and well-meaning Kwarans,” Mustapha said in the letter.

The senator said his decision was guided by his belief that politics should be driven by the interests of the people, principles and a clear sense of purpose.

“As a politician, I have always believed that politics must be about people, principles and purpose.

“Where the path of a political platform no longer sufficiently aligns with these convictions and the aspirations of the people one represents, the honourable thing to do is to chart a new course,” Mustapha said.

Mustapha, however, expressed gratitude to the APC leadership, led by President Bola Tinubu, for the relationships and experiences he gained during his time in the party.

“To the leadership of the APC, ably led by H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, I express my deepest gratitude for the relationships and experiences I have been afforded over the years,” he said.

He also assured his constituents and supporters that his resignation from the APC would not affect his commitment to serving the people of Kwara Central and the state.

“To my constituents, supporters, political associates and stakeholders in Kwara State and beyond, I assure you that while my political platform may change, my principles, my purpose and my commitment to the people remain unchanged.

“I remain steadfast in my service to the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria at large,” Mustapha said.

The development comes amid growing political tension and realignments within the ruling party in Kwara State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

When contacted for comment, the Kwara APC spokesperson, Babatunde Olawale, said the party had yet to issue an official reaction to Mustapha’s resignation.

He added that the party’s position, if any, would be communicated in due course.

Efforts to get the reaction of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq were unsuccessful, as his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola, abruptly ended the call on our correspondent while he was still speaking.