Another APC Member Quits in Kwara, Cites Lack of Internal Democracy

By Anifa Oluwapelumi

Another member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Dr Ibrahim Tajudeen S. Olesin, has formally resigned from the party, citing concerns over its current direction and what he described as a severe lack of internal democracy.

Olesin announced his resignation in a letter dated August 31, 2026, and addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Ibàgun Ward in Ilorin East Local Government Area.

In the letter, Olesin said his resignation takes effect immediately and also ends his membership of the party at the ward, local government and state levels.

“This decision, though difficult, has become entirely necessary after long and careful reflection on the current trajectory of our party in Kwara State,” he stated.

The former APC member said he joined the party because of its promises of equity, progressive governance and democratic values but argued that realities within the party had increasingly contradicted those principles.

He specifically accused the Kwara APC chapter of lacking internal democracy, alleging the suppression of dissenting voices, the absence of a level playing field during internal processes and the concentration of decision-making powers in the hands of a select few.

“When a political party ceases to respect the will of its base and its own constitution, it loses the moral authority to lead,” he said.

Olesin also expressed concern over what he described as inadequate attention to genuine human capital development within the party and its governance framework.

According to him, a progressive political party should invest in its people, foster growth and build the capacity of its members and citizens.

“Instead, we have witnessed a culture that overlooks merit, stifles the growth of loyal party faithful, and fails to invest meaningfully in the future of the populace,” he added.

Despite his criticisms, Olesin expressed gratitude to the ward chairman and other party members with whom he had worked over the years, describing his departure as a matter of “principle and conscience.”

His resignation adds to the growing wave of political exits and realignments within the Kwara APC as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to reshape the state's political landscape.

While Olesin did not state in the resignation letter which political party he intends to join, his departure further fuels speculation over possible new political alignments among aggrieved APC members in Kwara State.