Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, has picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form to seek re-election to the Senate in the 2027 general elections, hours after resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mustapha received the PDP nomination form from the party’s Kwara State Chairman, Issa Bawa, on Friday.

Confirming the development in a statement, the senator said his move to the PDP marked the beginning of a new chapter in his political career.

“The journey continues. Today, I begin a new chapter with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as I pick up the party’s ticket to seek re-election as the Senator representing Kwara Central in 2027,” he said.

Mustapha expressed appreciation to the PDP leadership and members for their confidence in him, as well as to his constituents for their continued support.

“Together, we move forward with greater commitment and determination to serve. Power to the People!” he added.

The senator had earlier resigned his membership of the APC in a letter addressed to the chairman of the party in Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.

He said the decision followed “careful reflection and extensive consultations” with constituents and key stakeholders.

Mustapha, a founding member of the APC, said recent developments within the party, particularly under its leadership in Kwara, had deviated from the principles of collective unity and internal democracy upon which the party was founded.

His defection to the PDP sets up a potential showdown with Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has emerged as the APC’s preferred candidate for the Kwara Central senatorial seat.

AbdulRazaq was reportedly the only aspirant to have purchased the APC nomination and expression-of-interest forms for the senatorial ticket, positioning him to succeed Mustapha in the Senate after completing his second term as governor in May 2027.

Mustapha had initially obtained the APC nomination form to contest the 2027 governorship election and participated in the party’s primary held on May 22.

Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, won the primary with 94,990 votes, defeating Abdulfatai Seriki, who scored 41,700 votes, while Bashir Bolarinwa came third with 22,118 votes.

Following the primary, Mustapha and other aspirants called for a review of the exercise, citing concerns over the conduct of the process.

In June, Mustapha and the two other serving senators from Kwara, Oyelola Ashiru and Sadiq Umar, also called for urgent reconciliation within the APC, alleging that legitimate stakeholders had been excluded from key decision-making processes.

With Mustapha now formally joining the PDP and securing its senatorial nomination form, the Kwara Central contest is set for a potentially keen battle ahead of the 2027 elections.