The Forum of State Chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change has reaffirmed its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The group also disassociated itself from a recent visit by some of its members to the Abuja residence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing the visit as the personal decision of a few individuals who were not representing the official position of the group.
The Forum also urged the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress to address what it called the continued marginalisation of the CPC bloc within the APC, as reported by The Nation.
Former Vice President Atiku, who has reportedly resigned from the People’s Democratic Party, is said to be courting several opposition figures to form a coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Although he is yet to declare for any of the existing political parties, there are indications that the ex-Vice President will formally join the African Democratic Congress ahead of the polls.
Already, CPC chieftains including former governors of Kaduna and Rivers states, Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, as well as ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, have teamed up with Atiku to work against Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Earlier in the week, Atiku announced the visit of some ex-CPC state chairmen on his social media handles, stressing that he advised them to encourage their supporters to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.
However, in a statement issued yesterday and signed by Kasim Mabo (National Chairman); Sulaiman Oyaremi (National Secretary); Olalekan Obolo (South West Coordinator); Enyinnaya Nnachi (South East Coordinator) and Ahmad Dawayo (North East and North West Coordinator), the Forum clarified that out of its 37 members, only 16 have pledged their support to Atiku while 20 others are in the same boat with President Tinubu.
The statement claimed that allies of the opposition have been pressuring the forum with offer of financial incentives to dump the APC in preparation for 2027.
The statement reads in part: “We wish to categorically state that 20 members of the group remain committed to the All Progressives Congress.
“We wish to state clearly that for some time now our Forum has been put under intense pressure, which includes financial gratification by opposition leaders, which accounts for why nine of our members succumbed to their pressure a few months ago and seven others joined them only last week as it appears they could no longer resist the pressure.
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“As we speak, however, 20 of us remain unwavering as we have lost one of our members from Borno State.
“This moment, however, calls for reflection, especially by the presidency and the APC leadership, to urgently address the continued neglect of the CPC bloc, particularly the Forum of State Chairmen, who are feeling increasingly alienated.
“Without the fear of sounding immodest, we remain the direct link to the grassroots structures that gave the CPC its national relevance, and we were the chairmen that worked with President Muhammadu Buhari of blessed memory to achieve the much touted 12.5 million votes.”
The group also reiterated that the gathering of the CPC elements at Atiku’s residence was nothing short of a move to give the former Vice President a misleading impression of “widespread support.”
Reaffirming its loyalty, the Forum expressed support for the leadership of the defunct CPC bloc, led by Senator Tanko Al-Makura, Aminu Masari, and Tajudeen Abbas.
“We remain loyal, patient, but firm in our resolve to demand for better patronage just as we pray that the Almighty God shall continue to guide Mr President and indeed all our leaders,” the statement added.
Loyalists of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, under the aegis of the Forum of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently declared support for President Bola Tinubu.
The declaration came amidst speculations that Buhari’s loyalists were displeased with Tinubu and were planning leave the ruling party en masse.
Those who met in Abuja in May and declared support for the president included the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas who sent in his apologies; Katsina State Governor, Dr Dikko Radda; the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, who also sent in his apologies; Foreign Affairs minister, Maitama Tuggar; former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Almakura; former Katsina State Governor and ex-House Speaker, Aminu Bello Masari and Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, General Buba Marwa (rtd).
Others included a former Aviation minister, Hadi Sirika; former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria VoN, Osita Okechukwu, former presidential aide, Okoi Obono Obla, former National Secretary of the APC, Arc. Waziri Bulama, former House of Representatives member, Farouk Adamu and many others.
