2027: Why I Hosted Ex-CPC Leaders – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has explained that he hosted some state chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) at his residence in Abuja to brainstorm about the 2027 general elections. 

Atiku in a post on his Facebook page also said the meeting held on Wednesday resolves to form a partnership and strong force that would oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next election.

Atiku, who also posted a video of the meeting, showed some of the former chairmen of the CPC declaring their support for him and expressing their readiness to join the coalition. 

Daily Trust reports that Atiku had hinted at contesting the 2027 presidential election against President Tinubu, but is  yet to officially declare his bid. 

He had formed a coalition of opposition leaders comprising political bigwigs like former Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former governors of Kaduna and Rivers States, Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and many others. 

The opposition coalition later in July, adopted the African Democratic Congress (APC) as its platform to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 poll.

Atiku’s meeting with ex-chairmen of the CPC, a political bloc in the All Progressives Congress (APC) came amidst claims that some members of the CPC, one of the parties that merged to form the APC in 2013, were being marginalised and excluded from the scheme of things in the ruling party. 

Atiku, former presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) posted, “This afternoon, I received state chairmen of the defunct CPC at my residence in Abuja.”

He explained that the ex-CPC leaders had visited to express their support for the mission to rescue the country from the stranglehold of the “incompetent” APC-led administration.

“They particularly expressed their worry about how the Tinubu-led administration has grossly derailed from the ideals of concern for the ordinary Nigerians, which they reckoned was the abiding principle of the initial APC administration.

“I took time to explain how current efforts to create a coalition platform began. I also gave them the pledge that the coalition platform, the ADC, is a people-powered political platform,” Atiku said.

“I especially encouraged them to mobilise their supporters for the ongoing voter registration exercise in the country.

“I enjoyed the warm and frank conversation and look forward to having a robust partnership that will not just oust the incumbent anti-people government but restore genuine hope to the people,” he added. 

It’s not a threat to us – APC

But reacting, the APC National Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, told Daily Trust that the meeting is not a threat to the ruling party.

Ibrahim in a telephone interview said the real leaders of the defunct CPC are with the APC, stressing that those who are “purportedly” with Atiku are not known, and can’t be a threat to the ruling party. 

The APC publicity director also dismissed the claims that the ruling party is anti-people and incompetent, rolling out the achievements of the Tinubu administration.