No fewer than 1,500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State have defected to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, drawn from the Alapa/Onire/Odegiwa Ward, announced their decision to join the ruling APC during a ward meeting on Sunday attended by party leaders, elected officials and supporters.
Among those present at the event was the Chairman of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Alakawa, and a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Shittu Motunrayo.
The new APC members said their decision to leave the PDP was influenced by what they described as poor treatment of members, alleged imposition of candidates and inadequate reward for loyalty within the opposition party.
They also cited what they considered visible achievements of the APC administration and opportunities available to members, particularly young people, as reasons for their decision to join the ruling party.
Receiving the defectors into the APC, Alakawa welcomed them and assured them that they would be treated as full members of the party.
He described the movement as an indication of the confidence the new members had in the APC and its programmes, while urging them to participate actively in grassroots mobilisation and party development.
Alakawa also called on the new members to remain committed to the party, stressing that political positions should not prevent other members from contributing to the growth of the organisation.
“There is no newcomer in the APC. Everyone is one,” he said, according to the report.
He further commended Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what he described as his administration’s performance in Asa Local Government Area.
The latest defection comes amid a series of political realignments in Kwara State as parties position themselves for the 2027 elections.
In recent weeks, both the APC and PDP have experienced movements of members between their ranks. Earlier in September, hundreds of APC members in Offa Local Government Area defected to the PDP, citing dissatisfaction with the direction of governance and expressing support for former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s political network.
The Kwara political landscape has also been affected by the movement of Senator Saliu Mustapha from the APC to the PDP. Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District, resigned from the APC in August and subsequently picked the PDP senatorial ticket for the 2027 election.
The PDP has also been preparing its campaign structure, recently appointing former governorship aspirant Omar Bolaji Gambari as Director-General of its campaign organisation for the 2027 governorship election. The party said the appointment was based on his experience, organisational capacity and knowledge of Kwara’s political environment.
The competing defections highlight the fluid nature of party alignments in Kwara ahead of the 2027 polls. While the latest group has publicly stated its reasons for joining the APC, the political significance of the movement will depend on whether the defectors remain active within their new party and how effectively the various parties translate such grassroots movements into electoral support.
With the 2027 elections approaching, both major parties are expected to intensify efforts to strengthen their structures, attract supporters and resolve internal disagreements across the state.
