Mr Mustapha announced his resignation from the party in a letter dated 14 August.
The crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has deepened following the resignation of Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central District in the Senate.
In a separate statement also posted on his verified social media handles, the senator said he reached the decision after weeks of consultations with his supporters, constituents and political stakeholders across Kwara State.
He said recent developments within the APC in the state, particularly the conduct of its leadership, had eroded his confidence in the party.
“I have formally resigned my membership of the party in the state,” Mr Mustapha said.
“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.”
In his resignation letter, the senator said he joined the APC as a founding member because of his commitment to the party’s ideals of good governance, unity and service.
He, however, accused the party leadership in Kwara of departing from what he described as the principles of collective unity and internal democracy on which the APC was founded.
“I believe political leadership must be anchored on integrity, competence, accountability and a sincere commitment to the collective interest of the people,” he said.
“The current leadership of the Party in Kwara State has fallen short of these standards and this has eroded my confidence in them.”
Mr Mustapha said his resignation would not affect his commitment to serving his constituents and the state.
“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.
The resignation comes against the backdrop of a deepening dispute within the Kwara APC over the party’s 2027 governorship and legislative primaries.
Mr Mustapha was one of the prominent aspirants who contested the APC governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
The party eventually produced the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as its governorship candidate.
The development left Mr Mustapha without the governorship ticket he had pursued and subsequently raised questions over his political future after the Independent National Electoral Commission published Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the APC candidate for the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
The governor is serving his second and final term and cannot seek re-election in 2027.
The development meant that, unless there was a change in the party’s nomination, Mr Mustapha would not return to the Senate under the APC after his current term.
The situation fuelled speculation about a possible political realignment involving the senator and other aggrieved APC stakeholders.
Before his resignation, Mr Mustapha had been part of the G15 coalition of party stakeholders challenging the outcome of the APC governorship primary.
The group includes other prominent aspirants and party figures, including Abdulfatai Seriki, a former senator, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, and a former APC state chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa.
The group has argued that the process that produced Mr Danladi-Salihu did not reflect agreements reached among stakeholders before the primary.
The dispute escalated in August when members of the G15 staged a protest in Ilorin, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC to intervene.
At the protest, Mr Mustapha said the group was dissatisfied with the handling of the party’s primary elections.
“We are protesting because we are not happy with the way the party’s leadership handled the process that produced the candidates,” he said.
“We are not against anyone, but the process lacked fairness and inclusiveness. We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restore equity within the party.”
The Deputy Senate Leader, Lola Ashiru, who also participated in the protest, warned that the crisis could damage the APC’s chances in the state.
“We are here because we want to protect the legacy of President Bola Tinubu. He has done so much for Kwara State. If we are not careful, there will be midnight for APC in Kwara State. That is what we are trying to prevent,” Mr Ashiru said.
Mr Oloriegbe also accused the state party leadership of excluding key stakeholders from consultations leading to the primaries.
The APC leadership has rejected the allegations.
