- Kwara APC Ex-Lawmaker Dumps APC for PDP
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He blames Governor Abdulrazaq for insecurity and poor governance.
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PDP welcomes him, while APC dismisses his exit as irrelevant.
A two-term member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saheed Popoola, has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside hundreds of his supporters in Offa Local Government Area.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Popoola, who represented Ojomu/Balogun Constituency in the Assembly, announced his defection on Sunday, citing loss of direction within the APC. He said his decision came after “deep reflection” on what he described as the ruling party’s deviation from its founding principles.
“I was the first person to contest under the APC platform in 2013 in Nigeria. We started the APC together with a vision of justice and prosperity, but over time, the party lost its soul. Loyalty became to individuals, not the people,” Popoola stated.
He said his move to the PDP was driven by a desire for fairness and credible governance, not desperation. “I’m joining the PDP not as a desperate politician but as a believer in fairness, justice, and equity. The PDP is peaceful and remains the only viable opposition in Nigeria,” he added.
The former lawmaker declared confidence that the PDP would reclaim power in the state during the 2027 general elections. “The PDP is going to take over the government and governance of Kwara State in 2027,” he said to cheers from his supporters.
Popoola criticised Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s handling of insecurity in the state, alleging that poor leadership had allowed banditry to creep into Kwara. “We have never seen banditry in Kwara since its creation in 1967. Hundreds of our people have been killed. Banditry existed in Niger State for years but never crossed into Kwara because the leaders then knew what they were doing. But the current Governor does not understand governance. He thinks only about himself and his ideas; that’s why we are where we are today,” Popoola said.
Recalling his role in the 2019 “O to Ge” (Enough is Enough) movement that helped the APC secure victory, Popoola lamented that the struggle’s core values had been betrayed. “After the Otoge struggle, which many of us fought and sacrificed a lot for, the governor abandoned the ideals we stood for. Unity of purpose and inclusivity were thrown away, and personal interest took over,” he said.
The Kwara State PDP chairman, Hon. Issa Bawa, welcomed Popoola’s return, describing it as a “homecoming” that would strengthen the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections. “What we have seen today shows clearly that PDP is regaining its momentum. Offa is for PDP in 2027. Offa will rise again and be great again,” Bawa declared.
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