About 1,500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Alapa/Onire/Odegiwa Ward, Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, have defected to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors announced their decision during a ward meeting on Sunday attended by the Chairman of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Alakawa, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Shittu Motunrayo, as well as party executives and supporters.
The new APC members said they left the PDP because of what they described as mistreatment of members, imposition of candidates and a poor reward system for party loyalty.
They also cited what they considered the APC’s visible achievements and the opportunities available to its members, particularly young people, as reasons for joining the ruling party.
Receiving the defectors, Alakawa assured them that they would be treated as members of the same political family and urged them to remain committed to the party’s growth at the grassroots.
He said the APC had no “newcomers”, stressing that members who contribute to the party and perform well could rise to leadership positions.
Alakawa also commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over his administration’s activities in Asa Local Government Area and urged residents to support the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The lawmaker representing the area, Shittu Motunrayo, also welcomed the defectors and called for cooperation between them and existing APC members.
The development comes as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation across Kwara ahead of the 2027 general elections. The movement of the PDP members into the APC adds to the ongoing realignment of political support in the state.
