2027: North-Central APC speaks after Al-Makura-led CPC bloc snubbed Atiku’s coalition

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

Members of the now-defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), led by former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, have been praised by the North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum for rejecting the alliance against President Bola Tinubu.

The Forum spoke in a statement released on Thursday by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, an APC campaign council member for the 2023 elections.

The goal of the opposition coalition is to defeat Tinubu and the APC in 2027. It is headed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the 2023 election.

One important figure in the coalition is Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, who just left the APC to join the Social Democratic Party, SDP. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential contender, is also alleged to be a member of the gang.

The coalition is presently rallying important opposition leaders to join forces against Tibubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

The APC was formed by the merger of several parties, including the CPC. Before the CPC joined the APC, it was led by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Despite being supported by Atiku and El-Rufai, there were rumors that the APC’s CPC group, led by Al-Makura, might join the coalition. After El-Rufai disclosed that he received Buhari’s approval prior to defecting from the APC for the SDP, the rumors intensified.

After Atiku and El-Rufai met Buhari in Kaduna last week with other important opposition leaders, the rumors became even further.

But following a meeting on Wednesday at Al-Makura’s home in Abuja, the CPC caucus reiterated their loyalty to Tinubu and the APC and distanced themselves from the coalition.

“We, the undersigned leaders and dedicated members of the former Congress for Progressive Change, instrumental in the historic merger that birthed the All Progressives Congress, issue this statement to reaffirm our unwavering loyalty to our great party and express our strong solidarity with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

“Recent misleading narratives suggesting defection or discontent among CPC stakeholders are baseless, mischievous, and should be disregarded. We remain a vital part of the APC, fully committed to its leadership and vision.

“We categorically state that we have neither left the APC nor do we intend to leave. The CPC bloc remains one of the APC’s foundational pillars, and we are resolute in our commitment to the party and its progressive ideals,” the bloc said in a statement signed by Al-Makura, former Katsina State governor Bello Masari, and 21 others.

The North-Central APC Forum responded to the situation on Thursday, stating that Al-Makura, a Nasarawa State native, has demonstrated that the North-Central is in fact for Tinubu and the APC by rejecting the opposition coalition.

The development, according to the APC Forum, has increased its confidence in fulfilling its promise to win six million votes for Tinubu in the upcoming election from the North-Central.

Parts of the statement said, “The North-Central APC Forum salutes the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc led by former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, for snubbing the opposition coalition being formed against President Bola Tinubu and our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“By this singular act, Tanko Al-Makura has shown that he is a committed, loyal party man who believes strongly in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the APC. He and his team have demonstrated loyalty to the party and to Mr. President and we wholeheartedly commend them for this exemplary conduct.

“By rejecting the opposition coalition, the Al-Makura-led CPC bloc has sent a message to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election. The message, which is loud and clear, is that Nigerians should reject any attempt to derail the reforms and good work being done by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to turn the fortunes of the country around.

“The failed politicians who are championing the coalition against Mr. President do not have anything better to offer Nigerians – they do not even have the interests of Nigerians at heart – they are only aggrieved because they lost the last election, and they are not part of President Bola Tinubu’s government.

“Just as the Tanko Al-Makura-led CPC bloc has shown that they are people of integrity and honour by rejecting the coalition, we urge Nigerians to reject the coalition and any other attempt to turn back the progress recorded so far under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”

The North-Central region was the first to support Tinubu for a second term with a pledge to deliver six million votes in 2027, the APC Forum added, further demonstrating the region’s strong support for the president.

“With former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura fully on board, the North-Central APC Forum is confident of actualising the promise to deliver six million votes for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

“The North-Central is indeed for the APC and President Bola Tinubu and this is not surprising when one considers the historical role played by the zone in the formation of the APC,” the statement added.

The APC was formed in February 2013 by the three largest opposition groups in Nigeria at the time – the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and a camp inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Under Buhari’s leadership, Al-Makura, the North-Central’s then-governor of Nasarawa State, was part of the CPC camp.

The ANPP’s Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, the governor of Zamfara State, was the only governor in the North-West zone at the time of the merger.

Tinubu, who subsequently rose to become the national head of the APC, led the ACN.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, the sole ACN governor at the time of the merger, resigned in October 2014, a little more than a year after the new party was established. Peter Obi did not belong to the APGA faction that joined the coalition that established the APC, despite the fact that he was the governor of Anambra State on the party’s platform at the time of the merger.

According to the statement, the Forum’s earlier announcement that it would not create any alliance with the North-East and the North-West before to the 2027 election was influenced by the North-Central’s marginalization under Buhari’s rule.

Although the North-Central played a significant part in the coalition that delivered the government, the statement also noted that throughout Buhari’s administration, it was marginalized by the North-East and the North-West, “The North-Central brought a sitting governor in the coalition. Many of the other zones did not bring anything.

“Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State in the North-Central was the only sitting governor that actively participated in forming the APC.

“But it is unfortunate that after he became President, Buhari did not even consider that when we asked for the position of Speaker and the position was taken to Lagos

“During Buhari’s government the North-Central suffered most – we were denied infrastructure, our roads were not attended to and the high level ot insecurity in the region was not addressed.

“Instead the North-East and the North-West concentrated all the benefits in their zones. Federal appointments, which many Nigerians believed favoured the North, only went to the two zones. The North-Central was left out.”

The APC Forum reaffirmed its decision to support Tinubu for a second term, claiming that the current administration has finally given the North-Central a sense of belonging by reversing the marginalization that it endured under Buhari and acknowledging its strategic role in the formation of the ruling party.

According to the statement, the North-Central region is benefiting from Tinubu’s government thanks to significant infrastructure developments, important appointments, and victories in the fight against insecurity.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.