Hijra with Turaki: Hundreds of APC Members Defect to PDP in Kwara

Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress in Balogun Fulani Ward 2, Kwara Central Senatorial District, have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, declaring their loyalty to Senator Saliu Mustapha.

The defectors, who are loyalists of the senator under the aegis of the Saliu Mustapha Supporters, officially joined the PDP on Friday during a colourful rally held across the Balogun Fulani community.

The rally, tagged “Hijra with Turaki,” was organised to mark the supporters’ decision to follow their principal into the PDP after his emergence as the party’s candidate for the Kwara Central Senatorial District.

Speaking during the event, leaders of the group said their decision to leave the APC was borne out of their loyalty to Mustapha, stressing that they had resolved to remain with him as he begins a new political journey under the PDP.

They described the rally as more than a political gathering, saying it was a demonstration of their commitment to the senator and his political movement.

The supporters moved through different parts of the Balogun Fulani community, displaying PDP flags, singing solidarity songs and chanting the name of their principal.

The organisers said the term “Hijra with Turaki” was chosen to symbolise their movement with Senator Mustapha, whom they referred to as the Turaki of Ilorin.

They further pledged to mobilise more supporters for the PDP and work towards strengthening the party’s structure in Balogun Fulani Ward 2 and other parts of Kwara Central ahead of the 2027 elections.

The defection is the latest political realignment among supporters of Senator Mustapha following his move to the PDP, with his loyalists continuing to publicly identify with his new political platform.