Fresh concerns over a potential mass defection of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc from Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have emerged following a closed-door meeting between former President Muhammadu Buhari and APC governors in Kaduna on Monday.
The visit, initially portrayed as a courtesy call, reportedly involved urgent appeals by the governors for Buhari to prevent key allies from leaving the party ahead of the 2027 elections. Sources reveal the governors specifically sought Buhari’s intervention to stop the exodus of CPC loyalists following former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s recent defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“The governors fear Buhari’s Northern support base could devastate APC if mobilized behind another party,” a party insider disclosed, noting that several former Buhari cabinet members are finalizing moves to SDP.
While Buhari reaffirmed his personal commitment to APC, he declined to pressure associates, maintaining his longstanding principle of political freedom. This stance comes as the party battles internal divisions, including unresolved disputes from its controversial 2022 presidential primaries.
Political analysts warn that losing the CPC bloc – a founding pillar of APC’s 2013 merger – could cripple the party’s electoral prospects, particularly in its Northern strongholds. The development follows Buhari’s Wednesday statement urging governors to prioritize citizen welfare over political interests, seen by some as tacit criticism of the current leadership.
With Katsina already witnessing APC-to-SDP defections and more high-profile exits anticipated, the ruling party faces its most severe existential crisis since assuming power in 2015.
