Kwara Central Senator Saliu Mustapha has quit the All Progressives Congress.
In a resignation letter dated August 14, 2026 and sent to the APC Chairman of Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government, Mustapha said the decision came after weeks of talks with constituents, supporters and other stakeholders in Kwara.
He said he was a founding member of the APC because he believed in its promise of good governance, unity and service. But he argued that the current leadership in Kwara has moved away from those ideals.
“Recent developments within the APC in our State, particularly the leadership of the Party in Kwara State, have departed from the founding core principles of collective unity and internal democracy on which the APC was built,” he wrote.
Mustapha said political leadership should be built on integrity, competence and accountability. According to him, the state chapter has fallen short, and that has weakened his trust in the party.
The lawmaker stressed that the move was not rushed. He described it as the result of “careful reflection and extensive consultations” across Kwara Central.
“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,” he stated.
He added that while his party platform may change, his commitment to the people will not.
Mustapha, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, also thanked President Bola Tinubu and the national APC leadership for the opportunities he had in the party.
“I remain fully committed to serving the people of Kwara Central, Kwara State and Nigeria with integrity, dedication and in the best interest of humanity,” he said.
This is not his first major political contest this year. In May, Mustapha ran for the APC governorship ticket in Kwara but lost to Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly.
