The now-rested Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is split into factions with one major faction pledging loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Another faction is however opposed to the president and has pledged support to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a party adopted by major opposition politicians seeking to unseat the president.
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PREMIUM TIMES reports that the CPC is a party founded by late President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the 2011 general elections. The CPC meged with other parties including Mr Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to form the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A gentleman’s agreement between Messrs Buhari and Tinubu meant that the former, after completing his two terms as president, supported Mr Tinubu to succeed him.
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However, since Mr Tinubu’s election, some loyalists of the former president have not been comfortable with the policies of his successor. The former president’s death now means that there is no generally acccepted rallying point for the CPC and separate factions are free to choose who to align with.
On Tuesday, a CPC faction led by former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, visited President Tinubu, to pledge support to him ahead of the 2027 election.
The visit came two days after another key member of the CPC, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, criticised the Tinubu administration.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported that the former Kaduna governor accused the government of failing Nigerians on key issues such as security and the economy. Other former CPC members like ex-Attorney General Abubakar Malami have also publicly criticised the Tinubu administration.
But the CPC faction led by Mr Al-Makura commended President Tinubu’s handling of the economy and security and pledged its loyalty.
“We are with you in loyalty, in person, and in purpose. May Almighty God grant you the wisdom and strength to continue leading our nation,” Mr Al-Makura said at the meeting with the president.
Mr Al-Makura also lauded the president for honouring the memory of Mr Buhari, especially during the state burial and honour given to the former president.
He recalled the CPC years before the merger that birthed the APC in 2013 and described Messrs Tinubu and Buhari as two visionaries whose political partnership provided the foundation for justice, equity, and national renewal.
“Mr President, you and President Muhammadu Buhari shared more than a political alliance; you shared a vision of a Nigeria built on justice, economic sovereignty, and good governance. Together, you conceptualised and built a platform that remains our pride and our cause,” Mr Al-Makura said.
He said the CPC family, comprising former governors, ministers, lawmakers, women leaders and party executives, would work tirelessly to consolidate Tinubu’s reforms and sustain the APC legacy ahead of 2027.
The CPC delegation included former communication minister Adebayo Shittu, former APC secretary Waziri Bulama and former lawmakers Haruna Hima and Garba Mohammed.
Responding to his guests, President Tinubu declared that his administration had achieved its revenue mobilisation target and would no longer rely on borrowing to finance government operations. He stressed that prudent management, not debt, now anchors Nigeria’s economic direction.
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“We have met our revenue target. Nigeria is not borrowing again. Nobody is trading pieces of paper for exchange rate anymore. The naira is stabilising. What we need now is to build the infrastructure for export and import, to create jobs and opportunities for our people. That is my guarantee,” Mr Tinubu said.
On food security, the president announced that his government would roll out a nationwide mechanisation programme, with farm centres established across all regions to boost productivity, ensure food sovereignty and lift millions out of poverty.
“Our path to food security is clear. Every region will have a mechanised farm centre. We are committed to removing poverty from our land, and that is the work we have already started,” he said.
The president urged his supporters not to be distracted ahead of 2027, emphasising that his focus remains on reforms that will guarantee prosperity for all Nigerians.
“Don’t let anybody threaten you with uncertainty. We know the direction we are going, and we are certain of success,” he said. “The legacy you will inherit from me is total commitment to justice, transparency and progress. At the end of this journey, it will be a house of joy and prosperity for all.”
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