Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, has strongly faulted claims by a group led by Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura suggesting that members of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC) had collectively endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 elections and ruled out defection from the party.
Speaking through his media aide, Muhammed Bello Doka, Malami dismissed the statement issued by Al-Makura’s camp as misleading, noting that the so-called communique does not reflect the collective position of the CPC bloc, which he described as a historic and ideological legacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“When you say CPC bloc, one needs to know who they are referring to,” Malami queried. “Is it the likes of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Adamu Adamu, Bello Masari, and Faruk Adamu Aliyu, who only months ago were throwing President Buhari under the bus in desperate attempts to gain relevance? How can such individuals now claim to speak for the bloc?”
He added that the decision of the group to pledge support for President Tinubu was a personal political move aimed at currying favour and maintaining influence within the APC, and should not be mistaken for the position of the CPC family. “Their decision is a personal one. The CPC bloc never met nor mandated anyone to speak or issue any communique on its behalf,” he said.
The Al-Makura-led group, which included former Governors and Ministers, had recently met and issued a communique reaffirming their loyalty to the APC and President Tinubu’s administration, claiming that insinuations of possible defection or internal discontent were untrue.
The communique read: “We, the undersigned leaders and committed members of the former CPC, who were part of those instrumental in the historic merger that gave birth to the APC, hereby issue this statement to clarify our unalloyed loyalty to our great party and express firm solidarity with the administration of President Bola Tinubu… We remain integral to the APC and are fully aligned with its leadership.”
Malami, however, challenged the authenticity of such a declaration, pointing out that CPC members across the country were yet to hold any formal consultation or forum to determine their next line of action.
Addressing rumours about his alleged move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Malami described such reports as speculative and unfounded. “Malami is a prominent figure in Nigeria; he cannot defect to any party in secret,” his aide stated. “He is still in the APC and is currently engaged in broad consultations with various political platforms. Until those consultations are concluded, discussions of defection or candidacy remain premature.”
Doka emphasized that Malami remains an active player in the political landscape and will make his political intentions known at the appropriate time. “He has every right, as a Nigerian citizen, to associate with any political party of his choice and to seek elective office in Kebbi State or elsewhere,” he added.
It is important to recall that just two weeks ago, the APC National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, led top party members on a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna. During the visit, they appealed to the former leader to intervene and persuade CPC members not to exit the APC. Buhari, however, reportedly maintained a neutral stance, reminding the delegation that every Nigerian has the constitutional right to belong to any political party of their choice.
The unfolding drama signals growing tensions within the CPC bloc, an influential segment of the APC coalition, and suggests that conversations about 2027 are already stirring serious realignments within the ruling party.