A fresh political dispute has erupted within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State after the owner of a building occupied by the party's Elders Forum in Ilorin West Local Government Area reportedly ejected the group and handed over the property to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The property belongs to the family of the late Alhaji Obalowu Shuaib Agarawu, who was the first elected Chairman of Ilorin Local Government Area.
The development is politically significant as Ilorin West is the home local government area of Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and forms part of the Kwara Central Senatorial District, where the governor and Senator Saliu Mustapha are now set to face each other in the 2027 election. The senator has positioned himself for a return to the National Assembly under the platform of the PDP after his departure from the APC.
Speaking on behalf of the Obalowu family, Mallam Shuaibu Obalowu said the decision to eject the APC Elders Forum followed disagreements over the use of the building and what the family considered an attempt by the elders to exercise control over areas of the property that were not allocated to them. The disagreement escalated after members of the APC Elders Forum allegedly attempted to prevent members of the G15 political bloc from holding a meeting on another floor of the same building.
According to Obalowu, the family had allowed the APC to use the property for almost eight years without charging the party regular rent, but became displeased when some party elders allegedly attempted to dictate how other portions of the building could be used. The family subsequently decided to hand over the entire three-storey building to the PDP for political activities.
The move effectively transforms a property previously used by the APC Elders Forum into a political base for Mustapha, who left the APC in August 2026 and subsequently obtained the PDP ticket to contest the Kwara Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general election. Mustapha announced his resignation from the APC in a letter dated August 14, 2026, addressed to the party chairman of Gambari Ward 1 in Ilorin East Local Government Area.
Mustapha's defection has intensified political realignments in Kwara, particularly within the APC, where Governor AbdulRazaq is also seeking the Kwara Central senatorial seat. AbdulRazaq had been screened by the APC for the senatorial ticket after emerging as the only aspirant reported to have purchased the party's nomination and expression-of-interest forms for the position.
The senator has also publicly acknowledged that he is now politically opposed to AbdulRazaq's camp, while saying that his defection from the APC did not amount to abandoning President Bola Tinubu. He said he remained supportive of Tinubu's re-election bid despite moving to the PDP.
Key points
- The property was previously used by the APC Elders Forum for almost eight years rent-free.
- Senator Saliu Mustapha left the APC in August 2026 and obtained the PDP ticket to contest the Kwara Central Senatorial seat.
- The development intensifies political realignments in Kwara, particularly within the APC, where Governor AbdulRazaq is also seeking the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
