Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, has formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party after resigning from the All Progressives Congress.

Mustapha picked the PDP senatorial nomination form on Friday, barely 24 hours after announcing his resignation from the APC. The Kwara State PDP chairman presented the form to the senator, formally marking his entry into the opposition party.

The development comes after Mustapha resigned from the APC in a letter dated August 14, 2026, addressed to the party chairman in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area.

In the resignation letter, Mustapha described himself as a founding member of the APC and said he joined the party because of its commitment to good governance, unity and service to the people.

However, he said recent developments within the APC in Kwara State had departed from the party’s founding principles, particularly collective unity and internal democracy.

“I hereby formally resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective immediately,” he stated.

Mustapha said his decision followed careful consideration and extensive consultations with his constituents and political stakeholders.

He also criticised the leadership of the APC in Kwara State, saying it had fallen short of the standards of integrity, competence, accountability and commitment to the public interest that he expected from political leadership.

“The current leadership of the Party in Kwara State has fallen short of these standards and this has eroded my confidence in them,” he said.

Despite leaving the ruling party, Mustapha pledged to remain committed to serving the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria.

His defection to the PDP and decision to seek the party’s senatorial ticket are expected to influence political alignments in Kwara Central ahead of the 2027 general elections.