More than 50 All Progressives Congress (APC) ward chairmen in Kwara Central have dismissed the political significance of Senator Saliu Mustapha's recent defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as a personal decision that would not weaken the ruling party's grassroots structure.

The ward chairmen, led by Baba Gobir Abdullahi, chairman of Gambari Ward II and chairman of APC ward chairmen across the 193 wards in Kwara State, reaffirmed their loyalty to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and pledged to mobilise support for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Gobir described ward chairmen as the "engine room" of the APC, responsible for grassroots mobilisation and engagement with voters.

He rejected claims that Mustapha's victory in the 2023 Kwara Central senatorial election was solely a personal achievement, arguing that it was the result of the collective efforts of the APC, the governor and party members at the grassroots.

According to him, Mustapha's departure did not reflect the position of voters across Kwara Central, insisting that the APC remained "fully intact, vibrant and united" behind Governor AbdulRazaq.

"Do not be distracted by the political tourism of individuals who prioritise their personal comfort over your collective progress. The APC remains the only party that puts the welfare of the ordinary Kwarans at the centre of governance," Gobir said.

The ward chairmen subsequently passed a vote of confidence in Governor AbdulRazaq and endorsed the APC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, pledging to work towards the party's victory in the 2027 elections.

However, reacting to the development, a senior aide to Senator Mustapha, Alabi Abdulkareem, argued that the repeated reactions from APC members demonstrated the significance of the senator's defection.

Abdulkareem said the number of responses from APC stakeholders suggested that Mustapha's departure had unsettled the party.

"Since Senator Saliu Mustapha left the APC, all of them, from top to bottom, have lost sleep," he said.

He claimed that several APC members had gone on local and national media platforms to react to the defection, with multiple press conferences also held.

Abdulkareem argued that if Mustapha's departure was politically insignificant, the APC would not have continued responding to it.

He further claimed that a significant number of APC grassroots members remained sympathetic to Mustapha, alleging that more than half of the remaining APC ward chairmen in Kwara Central were "fully with us in spirit and soul", despite remaining physically within the party.