Former members of the seventh national assembly, who were elected under the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), have stated that Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, do not have the authority to speak on behalf of the legacy party.
The forum announced Tanko Al-Makura, the former governor of Nasarawa, as its leader, emphasizing that he was the only state governor elected on the CPC platform.
Following a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the group described Malami and el-Rufai as politically insignificant figures who bring “negative value.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Nasiru Ila, the chairman of the forum, said that the members remain committed to the principles that led to the formation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and expressed their loyalty to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Ila stated that their attention had been drawn to certain individuals, groups, and entities who lacked electoral significance during the CPC’s active years but have falsely claimed to speak for or represent the CPC, purporting to act on behalf of its legacy and millions of supporters.
He categorically declared that no individual, group, or entity has the authority to speak for or on behalf of the defunct CPC, except the elected representatives of the party who were duly chosen by its supporters in 2011.
Ila asserted that they, the former elected members of the CPC from the seventh assembly, along with many others who contested, won, and subsequently had their hard-earned victories taken away, remain the only legitimate and authentic voice of the defunct CPC.
He declared that they are the true guardians of the party’s legacy and the representatives of the 12 million Nigerians, predominantly in northern Nigeria, who entrusted them with their mandate.
He urged Nigerians, especially CPC supporters across the north and other regions, to disregard any statements or actions made in the name of the defunct party without proper authorization.
Ila reaffirmed the members’ loyalty to President Tinubu, adding that they would continue to uphold the core values of the APC while ensuring that the voices of its supporters are not “exploited or misrepresented.”
He also called on the media, civil society, and the public to verify any claims made under the CPC banner, insisting that only members of the seventh assembly and Al-Makura are the legitimate voices of the legacy party.
Among those present at the meeting were Ibrahim Musa, Ibrahim Gobir, Sanusi Aliyu, Mohammed Tukur, Ahmed Sani, Ibrahim Chachangi, Yusuf Bala, and Garuba Datti, the current APC national vice-chairman (north-west).
On April 19th, Okoi Obono-Obla, a former special adviser on public prosecution to former President Muhammadu Buhari, dismissed Malami’s claim that the CPC bloc’s declaration of loyalty to Tinubu did not reflect the group’s position.
Obono-Obla stated that Malami lacks the moral standing to speak for the CPC, having contested an election in 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
