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 ruling All Progressives Congress. The decampees announced their decision on Sunday during a ward meeting attended by the Chairman of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Alakawa, member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Shittu Motunrayo, and other party executives and supporters.
The new APC members said they left the PDP, led in the state by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, over what they described as mistreatment of members, imposition of candidates and poor reward for loyalty. They also said they were attracted to the APC by what they described as the party’s visible achievements and opportunities for members, particularly youths.
Addressing the decampees, Alakawa welcomed them to the APC and assured them that they would be treated as members of the same political family. He said the defection demonstrated the confidence of the new members in the APC and its programmes, urging them to remain committed to the party and contribute to its growth at the grassroots.
Alakawa also commended Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what he described as his performance in Asa Local Government Area. He urged the new members to support the governor, while Shittu also welcomed the defectors and called on them to work with existing APC members for the development of the party.
The latest defection comes ahead of the 2027 general elections and adds to the political realignment taking place across Kwara State as major political parties intensify efforts to strengthen their grassroots structures.
