Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
No fewer than 1,500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Alapa/Onire/Odegiwa Ward, Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, have defected to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors announced their decision during a ward meeting on Sunday attended by the Chairman of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Alakawa, member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Shittu Motunrayo, party executives and supporters.
The new APC members said they left the PDP over what they described as mistreatment of members, alleged imposition of candidates and inadequate reward for loyalty within the party.
They also cited what they considered the APC’s visible achievements and opportunities for party members, particularly youths, as factors behind their decision to join the ruling party.
Receiving the defectors, Alakawa welcomed them and assured them that they would be treated as full members of the APC.
He said, “Today, we are receiving no fewer than 1,500 members of the PDP from Alapa/Onire/Odegiwa Ward into the APC. Their decision to join us is a clear indication of their confidence in the APC and its programmes.
“There is no newcomer in the APC. Everyone is one, and we are all working towards a common goal. Those who perform well and occupy political positions are also leaders of the party.”
Alakawa urged the new members to remain active at the grassroots and contribute to the development of the APC in Asa Local Government Area.
He also commended Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for what he described as his administration’s performance in Asa, urging supporters to back him in the forthcoming Kwara Central Senatorial District election.
The lawmaker representing the area, Shittu, also welcomed the defectors and called on them to work with existing APC members to strengthen the party.
The latest movement adds to the series of party defections and political realignments taking place in Kwara ahead of the 2027 elections. Earlier in September, more than 2,000 APC members in Adewole Ward, Ilorin West Local Government Area, defected to the PDP following the movement of Senator Saliu Mustapha to the opposition party.
The competing movements between the APC and PDP have intensified grassroots mobilisation across Kwara as the parties prepare their structures for the 2027 general elections.
