Buhari to APC Governors: ‘I remain in APC but can’t interfere in Malami, others’ political choices’

By KEMI KASUMU

It was, however, gathered that Buhari’s stance has sparked speculations about potential defections and their implications for APC’s future.

After month long celebration of a statement by Garba Shehu, saying former President Muhammadu Buhari is member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and would want to be addressed as such, leaders, members and supporters of the ruling party especially now under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been cold about what the former Military Head of State (1984-1985) and Elected President (2015-2023) actually told their selected governors who visited the Daura, Katsina State-born former leader at his Angwa Sarki GRA residence Kaduna, on Monday April 7, 2025.

They had visited the Mr. Integrity, as updates emerged, to beg him and secure not only his support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 but also help prevail on members of his Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc in the APC not to leave the ruling party.

It will be recalled how these APC leaders attempted to rubbish the same Buhari’s people they now do not want to leave the party with the Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s experience still fresh in the memory of all.

After sensing the turn of event, as members of the Buhari’s CPC bloc of the APC either decamping or planning to move out of the party due to the now clear statement credited to him as owner of the APC and sidelining of Buhari group from his government, President Tinubu had made public statement captured in a video saying “Buhari remains with us and goes to nowhere”.

But same Tinubu, though through proxies, has continuously vilified Buhari as one that handed over to him a damaged national economy that is said to have caused the hardship now being blamed on him.

A top member of his government had once reportedly said Buhari stole all the money that Tinubu, when he came, had no money to run the country. Whereas, Tinubu took over power from Buhari on May 29, 2023 and by the end of June (beginning three days later) he started to share over N1 trillion Federal Allocation to Federal Government, State Governments and Local Governments in the country.

In the heat of the Tinubu government’s anti-Dangote campaigns, the president’s men were all over the place saying there was no way Nigerian crude could be supplied to Dangote Refinery because, according to them, Buhari had mortgaged the crude of the country for a foreign loan.

This was going on even as the government continued to share over N1 trillion as monthly Federal Allocation to the three levels of government sparking questions as to “if not from our crude oil where did you get such amount of money to share despite that destination of money made from your subsidy removal programme is yet to be stated?”

The DEFENDER gathered that the reason for Dangote’s plight under Tinubu was because, according to some of the president’s people, Alhaji Aliko Dangote did not support him during his presidential election campaigns although Dangote, we learnt, would never want to be associated with other than the businessman that he is.

Recall that Dangote’s refinery was helped to come alive by President Muhammadu Buhari who had insisted it would be a shame that Nigeria, despite being a major player in global oil economy, should be foreign refined petroleum products dependent. Upon assumption of office by Tinubu, attempts were made and those were recorded in media records to run Dangote’s refinery down to enable the country continue its products importation amidst hardship caused by the government’s policies on fuel subsidy removal and floating of naira against the dollar.

Our investigations further revealed that attempts were also made to push the blames for the fuel subsidy removal implementation and naira floating failures on Buhari by the Tinubu’s men. They included the same Chairman of APC Governors and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who led his colleagues on the said date to beg the same Buhari they had collectively and individually vilified, slandered and whose hard-earned integrity they maligned and public honour they undermined.

To many Nigerians, therefore, question that needed to be asked upon seeing the APC governors, who were believed to have been sent by President Tinubu, himself, is: “Why are you visiting to beg a Buhari that is irrelevant, a thief and you have vilified as handing over to you a damaged national economy?”

Although they seemed not to have addressed Nigerians about what their host told them on Monday, fresh details that have emerged following visit by the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday April 7, 2027, revealed that the delegation, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is also the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, held a closed-door meeting with the former President, during which they commended him for his achievements while in office.

The APC governors noted that Buhari’s administration laid a strong foundation for future development in the country.

Although the visit was publicly described as a Sallah homage, sources revealed that the underlying purpose was to seek Buhari’s intervention in halting the defection of his loyalists from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The governors’ appeal reportedly stemmed from growing speculations about potential defections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) — a key bloc within the APC — remains highly influential, with Buhari regarded as its central figure.

There are fears within the APC that if this bloc were to exit, it could spell doom for the party nationwide. The meeting comes amid a wave of defections by Buhari’s allies from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Recall that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was the first to publicly announce his departure, claiming that he had secured President Buhari’s blessing before leaving the party.

Some former ministers, who served in Buhari’s cabinet, were said to be perfecting plans to move en masse to the SDP, just as in Buhari’s Katsina home state, some members of the APC have defected to the SDP.

Recall that the CPC was a political party founded in 2009. In February 2013, the party led by Buhari with his regularly bundled 12.5 million votes merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by Tinubu popular only in parts of South West region, a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Chief Rochas Okorocha, and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) led by Dr. Ogbonanya Onu, all coming together to form the present day APC. The All Progressives Congress immediately after formation ahead of the 2015 general elections was joined by another group known as the New PDP (N-PDP) led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

To the chagrin of many, beyond what his supporters had insinuated as not only being the maker of Buhari as President but also the owner of the APC, Tinubu has confirmed in many instances from the Abeokuta pronouncement where he said if not for him Buhari would not have been president to the recent statement credited to him when he told Lagos State House of Assembly members that he is the owner of the APC and that, as such, he was ordering them to go and reinstate impeached Mudashiru Obasa as speaker and members of the CPC bloc are ready to leave the APC for its allegedly rightful owner.

But that decision of CPC to leave the party for Tinubu, who is yet to deny the rumoured statement where he called himself the owner of APC, has caused panic in the ruling party leading to the visit the governors tagged Sallah homage on Buhari.

The DEFENDER gathered that the APC Governors particularly asked former President Buhari to speak to former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and former Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, not to dump the APC.

A source, who was privy to the discussions at the closed door meeting and pleaded anonymity, said that the former President seemed to have distanced himself from the issue, stating that individuals like Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and others should decide their own party affiliations and that, as such, he cannot interfere with their political choices, as this has remained his trait all through his political life.

It was, however, gathered that Buhari’s stance has sparked speculations about potential defections and their implications for APC’s future.

The meeting between the APC governors and Buhari came at a critical time for the party, as it navigates internal challenges and external pressures ahead of the 2027 general election.

The APC has been grappling with internal conflicts, including disagreements over the party’s Presidential candidate selection process.

In 2022, the party’s National Working Committee, NWC adopted indirect primaries for electing its presidential candidate, rejecting the consensus arrangement, which affected the party greatly, especially those from the CPC Bloc, which the former president belonged to before the coming on board of APC on the 6th of February 2013.

The potential defections of key figures like Nwajiuba, Malami, and others could weaken the APC’s position, especially if they decide to join another party hence the quick intervention of the APC governors and their mission to Buhari’s home.

Buhari’s decision to distance himself from the issue may be seen as a reflection of his commitment to allow individuals make their own decisions about their party affiliation, just as it is obvious that the APC’s future hangs in the balance as it navigates these internal challenges.