KWARA POLITICS HEATS UP AS FORMER ALLIES TAKE DIFFERENT POSITIONS

Political activity in Kwara State is intensifying ahead of the 2027 general elections, with former allies taking opposing positions as new alliances emerge across the state.

The latest development centres on Kwara Central, where the defection of Senator Saliu Mustapha from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party has created a new political contest between the senator and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Following Mustapha’s departure from the APC, 51 ward chairmen in Kwara Central and other party stakeholders declared their continued support for AbdulRazaq.

The stakeholders also expressed support for the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and APC governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, saying Mustapha’s exit would not weaken the party’s grassroots structure.

The development reflects the growing struggle for political influence in Kwara Central, particularly over party structures, grassroots support and the 2027 governorship contest.

Mustapha’s camp, however, has accused the APC leadership of gradually excluding his supporters from party structures and has linked the disagreement to wider disputes over political influence in the state.

The political crisis has also exposed divisions within the APC following the party’s governorship primary that produced Danladi-Salihu. Some aspirants and stakeholders have called for reconciliation and a review of aspects of the primary process, while the party leadership maintains that the exercise was valid.

With Mustapha now in the PDP, the former allies are expected to face each other on opposing political platforms as the 2027 elections approach.

The outcome of the contest will depend largely on whether the APC can maintain its existing grassroots structure and whether the PDP can convert Mustapha’s political network into wider electoral support.

The unfolding rivalry has positioned Kwara Central as one of the key battlegrounds to watch as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.