Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District, has clarified that his recent defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not a rejection of President Bola Tinubu.

Mustapha made the clarification during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, explaining that his decision was largely influenced by what he described as the poor handling of the APC structure in Kwara State by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The lawmaker said the political realignment in Kwara was part of the broader “Rainbow Coalition” currently taking shape across the country, stressing that the move was bigger than his personal political interest.

“I have not dumped President Tinubu. Like the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said, this Rainbow Coalition has extended to Kwara State,” Mustapha said.

He explained that the G-15 and the elder caucus of the APC in the state felt increasingly alienated by the governor’s leadership style and his handling of party affairs.

According to him, the decision to adopt the PDP as a political platform was therefore deliberate and followed consultations among key stakeholders within the Kwara political structure.

Mustapha, who recently joined the PDP and emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate for the 2027 general elections, maintained that the development should not be interpreted as a personal battle with President Tinubu.

The senator’s defection adds another layer to the growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as politicians across different states continue to form new alliances and reposition themselves ahead of the polls.

Akelicious reports that the G-15 comprises APC governorship aspirants and members of the party’s elders’ caucus in Kwara State who have raised concerns over the direction of the party under Governor AbdulRazaq.