Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has rejected claims made by Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s group, asserting that the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC) had endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 election and ruled out defection.
According to Vanguard, Malami, speaking through his media aide, Muhammed Bello Doka, clarified that the CPC bloc, which was founded by former President Muhammadu Buhari, is the only authority capable of making such a statement regarding its membership and intentions, not Al-Makura’s group.
Malami questioned the legitimacy of the claims made by Al-Makura’s group, pointing out that some of its members had, just months ago, been critical of Buhari in an attempt to gain personal relevance.
He stated, “When you say CPC bloc, one needs to know who they are referring to. Is it the likes of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Adamu Adamu, Masari, and Faruku Adamu Aliyu, who, a few months ago, were throwing Buhari under the bus in desperate attempts to gain relevance? It is their decision, which has nothing to do with the CPC bloc. It’s about them gaining relevance for personal benefits.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Malami also dismissed the speculation about the bloc’s alleged defection, reaffirming that the decisions regarding leaving or staying within the APC would be made by the bloc itself, not by individual members trying to further their personal political careers.
Responding to rumours suggesting that he might defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Malami dismissed the claims as baseless, emphasising that, as a prominent political figure, he would not make such a move secretly.
“Malami is a prominent figure in Nigeria; therefore, he cannot defect to any party in secret. He is still in the APC but is in broad consultations with different political platforms. Until those consultations are concluded, it is premature to talk about defection or declaring interest in another party,” Malami’s aide explained.
Malami also confirmed that he remained actively involved in politics and would make his position clear when the time is right. “Malami has the right to belong to any political party and contest any position in Kebbi State,” he added.
Al-Makura’s Group Affirms Loyalty To APC And Tinubu
Earlier, Al-Makura, along with former Katsina governor Bello Masari, ex-Education Minister Alhaji Adamu Adamu, and 20 other political figures, issued a communique declaring their loyalty to President Tinubu and the APC.
The communique read, in part: “We, the undersigned leaders and committed members of the former CPC, who were part of those instrumental in the historic merger that gave birth to the APC, hereby issue this statement to clarify our unalloyed loyalty to our great party and express firm solidarity with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.”
They further stated, “Recent misleading narratives suggesting defection or disaffection among CPC stakeholders are false, misleading, and should be ignored. We remain integral to the APC and are fully aligned with its leadership.”