Al-Makura urges aggrieved ex-CPC members not to quit APC

Some members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a bloc in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have appealed to other members not to abandon the party.

They called for internal dialogue, patience and perseverance as the best methods for resolving grievances.

A leader of the CPC bloc, Umaru Al-Makura, made the call at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Al-Makura, a former governor of Nasarawa State, urged aggrieved members to remain committed to the APC and work through the party’s internal mechanisms to address any issues.

“To our brothers and sisters who may feel aggrieved, we urge them to explore options within the party to resolve their grievances through dialogue, patience and perseverance.

“True loyalty is tested not in times of comfort but in times of travail. We urge all to use the structures and constitutional avenues available within our great party to seek redress and to avoid actions that could weaken the very house we built,” he said.

The CPC, founded by former President Muhammadu Buhari, was one of the key opposition parties that merged in 2013 to form the APC, alongside the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the new-PDP bloc of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The merger was a historic move that succeeded in ending the PDP’s 16-year rule, bringing Mr Buhari to power in 2015. It marked the first time an opposition party unseated an incumbent government in the Nigerian federal government.

There are speculations that some aggrieved members of the CPC bloc in the APC are threatening to leave the ruling party over alleged marginalisation. Some of the members, including ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, have already defected from the APC to other parties, while others are said to be considering joining the coalition movement spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

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Within the APC, the CPC bloc produced ex-President Buhari while the ACN bloc produced ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

In the current dispensation, President Tinubu is a member of the ACN bloc while Speaker Abbas Tajudeen is a member of the CPC bloc.

Loyalty to APC

Mr Al-Makura reassured that the majority of CPC-aligned stakeholders will remain committed to the APC and its leadership under President Bola Tinubu.

“Let it be clearly understood that we, the majority stakeholders of the former CPC, are not abandoning the APC. We are here, standing tall, committed to the ideals that brought us together. We remain loyal to our party, the APC and are firmly supportive of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Our commitment is unshaken, our faith is renewed, and our hope for a better Nigeria under this administration remains high,” he added.

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Support for Tinubu’s economic reforms

Mr Al-Makura declared support for the Tinubu administration’s economic and governance reforms.

He urged Nigerians to remain patient amid current economic challenges.

“Today, under President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, Nigeria faces challenging but necessary reforms. As responsible citizens and co-founders of this political party, we believe that now more than ever, we must remain steadfast, patient and supportive.

“We commend the bold steps taken by President Tinubu, and we urge Nigerians to trust the process, knowing that the foundation being laid today will lead to a more prosperous and secure future.”