The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State has lost its structure in Shawo Central Ward, the home ward of the senator representing Kwara South District, Senator Lola Ashiru, as members of the party formally defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during the declaration in Offa, the defectors, led by Comrade Ezekiel Adepoju, said they were convinced in the leadership of former Senate President and PDP leader, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
They said the PDP provided a better platform for the political future of Offa and Kwara State.
The development was followed by support from women in the ward, who trooped out in large numbers shortly after the declaration to celebrate the decision.
The women moved through the community in a solidarity rally, chanting traditional local songs and expressing their readiness to work for the success of the PDP at the polls.
In their songs and chants, the women declared their support for Saraki’s leadership and vowed to mobilise voters across the Offa Local Government Area for the PDP in the 2027 elections.
The development is particularly significant as it came from Shawo Central Ward, the political home of Senator Lola Ashiru, and is being viewed within political circles as another indication of the growing contest for grassroots support in Offa ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also in Ilorin, hundreds of members of the APC in the political ward of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq declared their support for the opposition PDP.
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Speaking with journalists during the defection, the people, led by Mr Taofeek Mohammed, cited disappointment with the APC administration and growing concerns over the direction of governance in the state.
Mohammed said their decision, coming from the governor’s own political base, sent a political message ahead of the 2027 elections.
“For a governor who has presented himself as a leader with strong grassroots support, the loss of hundreds of supporters from his own ward raises questions about the performance of his administration and his connection with the people,” he said.
The people said political strength was not measured by government propaganda or social media claims but by the confidence of the people.
“When hundreds of people leave a ruling party in the governor’s own backyard and choose the opposition, it becomes difficult to dismiss such a development as an ordinary political movement,” he said.
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