PDP Suffers Fresh Blow in Ilorin as Ubandawaki Members Defect to APC, Back Tinubu and Danladi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has suffered another political setback following the reported defection of a number of its members in Ubandawaki Ward, Ilorin West Local Government Area, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The development, announced in a social media post by APC supporters, described the movement as another sign of growing support for the progressive camp ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defectors were said to have declared their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the APC governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.

According to the report, the new APC members from Ubandawaki Ward expressed their willingness to work for the success of the party and its candidates in the forthcoming elections. The development is being presented by APC supporters as evidence of increasing grassroots acceptance of the party’s political structure in Ilorin.

The reported movement is particularly significant because Ubandawaki Ward is located in Ilorin West, an important political constituency in Kwara Central. The ward has historically featured prominently in political mobilisation and has been a battleground for the state’s major political parties.

The latest development also comes against the backdrop of intensified political realignments in Kwara ahead of 2027. Earlier reports showed that Ubandawaki had been involved in a major political movement in the opposite direction, when hundreds of APC youths from Ubandawaki, Ajikobi and Alanamu wards defected to the PDP in November 2025.

That earlier defection was led by Mallam Musa Kabir of Ubandawaki Ward, with the defectors citing hardship, unmet expectations and dissatisfaction with the APC administration. They had accused the AbdulRazaq government of failing to create sufficient opportunities for young people, allegations that formed part of their justification for joining the PDP.

The latest movement therefore illustrates how political loyalties in the ward continue to shift as parties prepare for the 2027 elections. Rather than remaining permanently aligned with one political platform, groups of supporters have continued to reassess their affiliations based on emerging political structures, candidates and local interests.

The defectors’ endorsement of Danladi-Salihu is also noteworthy because he is the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Kwara governorship election. Recent reports have highlighted efforts by the APC to mobilise support for Danladi-Salihu across the state as the party begins preparations for the election.

The APC has simultaneously continued to emphasise the popularity and political structure of Governor AbdulRazaq. At an earlier APC senatorial primary exercise in Ubandawaki Ward, AbdulRazaq reportedly secured all the votes recorded in the ward, another indication of the governor’s strength within the party’s local structure.

With 2027 approaching, the latest Ubandawaki development is likely to attract attention from both the APC and PDP as they compete for grassroots dominance in Ilorin and across Kwara State. While the reported defection has been celebrated by APC supporters as a fresh boost, its broader electoral impact will ultimately depend on whether the new alignment translates into sustained mobilisation and votes at the polls.