Key stakeholders of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have reaffirmed their loyalty to President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), distancing themselves from an emerging faction reportedly spearheaded by former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Led by Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, a former governor of Nasarawa State, the CPC bloc described itself as the “authentic custodians” of the legacy party and reiterated support for Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general election.
Al-Makura, who addressed journalists on Thursday in Abuja following a meeting of CPC stakeholders, stressed that the group remains “united, focused and deeply committed” to the APC’s goals.
“We are here to reaffirm our commitment to the ideals that brought us together in 2013,” he said.
“Let it be known clearly that we have not left the APC. We remain part and parcel of the APC family, fully aligned with President Tinubu’s leadership.”
The former governor dismissed recent reports of a division within the CPC bloc, warning against what he described as a campaign of misinformation aimed at destabilising the ruling party.
Citing the CPC’s role in the 2013 merger that birthed the APC, Al-Makura recalled the pivotal role played by its members in unseating an incumbent administration in 2015.
“We recall with pride how we in the CPC, in collaboration with other patriots in ACN, ANPP, APGA, DPP and nPDP, contributed to the defeat of an incumbent government and the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he stated.
Speaking on Nigeria’s current economic trajectory, Al-Makura acknowledged the challenges facing the country but expressed confidence in Tinubu’s reform-driven administration.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is undergoing necessary reforms. We commend the bold steps taken by the president and urge Nigerians to trust the process,” he said.
He also urged aggrieved APC members to utilise the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms, stressing that loyalty must be tested in times of difficulty.
Other prominent figures at the meeting included Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda; his predecessor, Aminu Masari; former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika; and NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa.
The development comes amid swirling speculations that key CPC-era politicians, including El-Rufai and Malami, may be plotting a political shift ahead of 2027.
Nasarawa Governor, Abdullahi Sule, had earlier dismissed the rumours, declaring former President Muhammadu Buhari as “CPC himself.”
“We are not going anywhere,” Sule said last week. “Our father, Buhari, is CPC — no other person.”