• 2027: Buhari’s loyalists rally behind Atiku, criticise APC leadership
• Crisis rocks ACF over support for Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu will, today, depart Abuja for Kaduna State on a one-day visit.
In a significant political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, a group of Buhari’s loyalists declared support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, signalling divisions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Within the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a fresh crisis appears to be looming over the 2027 presidential election, following conflicting public statements from its leaders on the contentious issue of Tinubu’s re-election bid.
While in Kaduna, the President will attend the wedding ceremony of Nasirudeen Yari, son of Sen Abdul’aziz Yari (Zamfara West), and Safiyya Shehu Idris.
He is also scheduled to visit the widow of former President Muhammadu Buhari at the family’s residence, and return to Abuja on the same day.
The support for Atiku was formalised at a private meeting in Abuja, where state chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – Buhari’s original political platform – met with Atiku at his residence to discuss future political collaboration.
Atiku, who is spearheading efforts to build a broad coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), welcomed the delegation and pledged to work with them in reshaping Nigeria’s political landscape.
The CPC bloc, considered Buhari’s traditional political base, expressed dissatisfaction with the present APC leadership, saying it had strayed from the ideals that brought the coalition to power in 2015.
One of the leaders said at the meeting: “We are the true followers of Buhari, and we are here today, sir. When this coalition started, we identified early with the party we wanted to align with. Buhari has left an unprecedented mark on the history of this country, and we will not allow it to be lost. We are now ready to merge into the new political platform that God has chosen for us, appointing you as the leader, that platform now being the ADC.”
Another CPC stalwart drew comparisons between the Buhari years and the present administration, stating that the original movement’s values were no longer visible in government.
In his response, Atiku commended the group for its solidarity and described the development as a major boost for his coalition-building efforts.
He urged them to mobilise their supporters for the ongoing voter registration exercise, stressing its importance in the 2027 polls.
Specifically, the controversy in ACF began on Wednesday, after the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof Tukur Baba, openly faulted the APC for restricting its presidential ticket to Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC monitored in Kaduna, Baba argued that the APC’s move contradicted democratic norms and denied other aspirants within the party the right to contest.
“Our Forum is not a political party, but we take an interest in matters of governance and politics. What we do is enlightenment,” Baba said. “There is a need for the APC to allow any interested member to contest, in the interest of fairness and democracy.”
But in a sharp rebuttal, the Chairman of ACF’s Kano State chapter, Dr Goni Umar, dismissed Baba’s remarks as personal and not the official position of the Forum.
According to him, the ACF has not authorised any spokesman to endorse or oppose any candidate, insisting that such pronouncements require approval from the Forum’s executive council.
“It is wrong for anyone to speak on behalf of the ACF without proper authorisation. If Prof Baba has a personal opinion, he is entitled to it, but he cannot speak for the Forum,” Umar said.
Analysts say the latest row underscores deepening internal cracks within the ACF, as leading voices struggle to balance personal political leanings with the Forum’s stated non-partisan mandate.
