…as CPC Chairmen insist loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains intact.
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | A major political rift has emerged within the ranks of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) as the Forum of its State Chairmen has publicly distanced itself from a recent visit by some of its members to the Abuja residence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, the Forum declared that the visit was the “personal decision of a few individuals” and did not represent the collective stance of the group. It also accused opposition figures of attempting to destabilize the bloc through financial inducements ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The development comes as Atiku, who recently renounced membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reportedly intensifies efforts to rally disenchanted political leaders and factions, including elements of the former CPC, as part of a broader strategy to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
While Atiku has yet to officially align with a political party, sources close to his camp suggest he is finalizing plans to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move aimed at consolidating anti-Tinubu forces under a new platform.
But the Forum of CPC Chairmen insists that loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains intact for the majority of its members.
“Out of our 37 members, 20 remain fully committed to the APC and President Tinubu, while 16 have aligned with Atiku. Sadly, we lost one of our members from Borno State,” the statement revealed.
Signed by five key national and regional officials Kasim Mabo (National Chairman), Sulaiman Oyaremi (National Secretary), Olalekan Obolo (South West Coordinator), Enyinnaya Nnachi (South East Coordinator), and Ahmad Dawayo (North East/North West Coordinator) the statement paints a picture of a group under siege.
“We wish to state clearly that for some time now, our Forum has been put under intense pressure, including financial gratification by opposition leaders. This accounts for why nine of our members succumbed months ago, and seven others joined them just last week,” the Forum alleged.
It described the controversial visit to Atiku’s residence as an orchestrated ploy to create the illusion of widespread support for the former Vice President.
“The gathering was nothing short of a political stunt aimed at giving Atiku a misleading impression of dominance within the CPC ranks,” the statement added.
While reaffirming loyalty to the APC, the Forum issued a subtle but serious warning to the Presidency and the party leadership, decrying what it called the “continued marginalisation” of the CPC bloc.
“This moment calls for deep reflection, especially by the Presidency and APC leadership. We, the former CPC Chairmen, feel increasingly alienated despite being the grassroots backbone that gave CPC and by extension APC its strength,” they said. “We were the Chairmen who worked directly with President Muhammadu Buhari of blessed memory to secure the much-celebrated 12.5 million votes.”
The Forum also expressed its continued allegiance to key CPC figures within the APC fold, including Senator Tanko Al-Makura, former Katsina Governor Aminu Masari, and current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
“We remain loyal, patient, but firm in our resolve to demand better patronage,” they concluded. “May Almighty God continue to guide Mr. President and all our leaders.”
As internal realignments continue ahead of the 2027 elections, the statement signals that tensions within the APC’s founding blocs are simmering and may boil over if left unaddressed.
