BREAKING: Kwara Assembly Lawmaker Saba Gideon Resigns From APC, Cites Lack Of Internal Democracy | Sahara Reporters

He cited concerns over recent developments within the party, particularly issues relating to internal democracy, fairness and inclusiveness.

Hon. Saba Yisa Gideon, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing Edu State Constituency, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect.

Gideon, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Livestock, announced his resignation in a letter dated August 19, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Tsaragi Ward 3 in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.

In the letter titled “Resignation of Membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the lawmaker said his decision followed careful reflection and consultations with his constituents and key stakeholders.

He cited concerns over recent developments within the party, particularly issues relating to internal democracy, fairness and inclusiveness.

“I hereby formally resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective immediately,” Gideon stated in the letter.

He added, “This decision follows careful reflection and consultations with my constituents and key stakeholders. Recent developments within the Party, particularly concerning internal democracy, fairness, and inclusiveness, have led me to take this decision.”

The lawmaker, however, pledged to remain focused on his responsibilities to the people of his constituency, stressing that his resignation from the APC would not affect his commitment to public service.

“I remain committed to serving the people of Edu State Constituency, Kwara State, and Nigeria with integrity, dedication, and accountability,” he said.

Gideon also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve under the platform of the APC and for the support he received during his membership of the party.

“Thank you for the opportunity to serve and for the support received during my membership of the Party,” he stated.

On December 22, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the Kwara State House of Assembly was embroiled in fresh controversy after suspending Gideon, the lawmaker representing Edu Local Government Area, over allegations that he leaked an audio recording to Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, a businessman and an APC chieftain with noted governorship ambitions.

Although the Assembly officially cited “unparliamentary conduct” as the basis for Gideon’s suspension, multiple sources in the House told SaharaReporters that the action was politically motivated and tied to deepening internal power struggles ahead of the 2027 elections.

Seriki, an APC chieftain widely believed to be nursing a governorship ambition, is reportedly at loggerheads with the Speaker of the House, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, whose own governorship aspiration has become an open secret in Ilorin political circles.

According to sources, the controversy erupted after Hon. Owolabi Rasaq, representing Share/Oke-Ode constituency, accused Gideon on the floor of the House of leaking sensitive legislative deliberations to Seriki.

One source explained that the alleged leak concerned a proposed motion seeking the revocation of Seriki’s mining licences in Kwara State, an issue said to have sparked intense behind-the-scenes lobbying and divisions within the Assembly.

The allegation reportedly began to unravel during plenary, with Owolabi himself admitting that he did not know who actually leaked the information.

Despite this admission, lawmakers sympathetic to the House leadership allegedly pressed ahead with calls for Gideon’s sanction, arguing that his close relationship with Seriki made him the “most likely” source of the leak.

Sources say the issue escalated from legislative disagreement to personal confrontation after an audio recording obtained by SaharaReporters captured a tense exchange between Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi and the suspended lawmaker.

In the leaked audio, the Speaker is heard warning Gideon to “play soft” and accusing him of talking too much.

Although the Speaker denied directly asking Gideon to support his alleged governorship ambition, the lengthy audio monologue repeatedly references political structures, party control, and loyalty.