Barely 12 years since the All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed from legacy parties including the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), internal tensions within the CPC bloc are raising new questions about the unity of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
Recent rumblings from prominent CPC figures reflect a growing dissatisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership style, reward system, and the direction of his administration. While some former CPC members, led by ex-Attorney General Abubakar Malami, Babachir David Lawal, and Pastor Tunde Bakare, have voiced strong criticism and even hinted at leaving the APC, a larger majority led by Senator Tanko Al-Makura have reaffirmed loyalty to the party and President Tinubu.
At the heart of the dispute is a perceived imbalance in political appointments and recognition. Malami, speaking through his media aide, dismissed Al-Makura’s loyalty group as self-serving, questioning their authority to represent the CPC bloc. Babachir Lawal and Bakare, both critics of Tinubu’s governance, argue that the former CPC movement—rooted in advocating for the common man—has lost its ideological path under the current APC leadership.
Bakare, a former presidential aspirant, went as far as to accuse President Tinubu of “playing God,” lambasting his leadership style and warning of the dangers of unchecked power.
Despite this dissent, Al-Makura’s faction—which includes political heavyweights like former governors Aminu Masari and Adamu Adamu—held a meeting in Abuja last week where they firmly rejected any move to abandon the APC. In a communiqué signed by 23 leaders, the group reaffirmed support for Tinubu and called for better internal communication to reduce tensions and promote inclusiveness.
They praised Tinubu’s historical role in the APC’s formation and emphasized the need to support his administration through ongoing economic reforms. Osita Okechukwu, a key CPC figure and signatory to the communiqué, underscored their commitment to the party and encouraged reconciliation efforts with aggrieved members like Malami.
Still, the internal rift raises questions about the stability of the APC coalition and whether the northern elements of the CPC might eventually coalesce around an alternative agenda. With some former allies portraying Tinubu’s presidency as elitist and exclusionary, the challenge for the APC will be to manage these internal divisions before they threaten the party’s 2027 ambitions.
As the Tinubu administration approaches its midterm mark, the CPC’s split signals both an ideological reckoning and a strategic test for the APC’s unity moving forward. Will internal reconciliation succeed—or will these fractures evolve into a broader political realignment?
