Fresh details have emerged following a visit by governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his Kaduna residence on Monday.
The delegation, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma—Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum—held a closed-door meeting with the former President, during which they commended him for his achievements while in office.
The APC governors noted that Buhari’s administration laid a strong foundation for future development in the country.
Although the visit was publicly described as a Sallah homage, sources revealed that the underlying purpose was to seek Buhari’s intervention in halting the defection of his loyalists from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The governors’ appeal reportedly stemmed from growing speculations about potential defections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)—a key bloc within the APC—remains highly influential, with Buhari regarded as its central figure.
There are fears within the APC that if this bloc were to exit, it could spell doom for the party nationwide.
The meeting comes amid a wave of defections by Buhari’s allies from the APC to the SDP.
Recall that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was the first to publicly announce his departure, claiming he had secured President Buhari’s blessing before leaving the party.
Some former ministers who served in Buhari’s cabinet were said to be perfecting plans to move en masse to the SDP, just as in Buhari’s Katsina home state, some members of the APC have defected to the SDP.
Recall that the CPC was a political party founded in 2009. In February 2013, the party merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the APC and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA to form the present day APC.
The source said that the Governors particularly asked former President Buhari to speak to former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN and former Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba not to dump the APC.
A source who was privy to the discussions at the closed door meeting and pleaded anonymity said that the former President seemed to have distanced himself from the issue, stating that individuals like Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and others should decide their own party affiliations and as such he can not interfer with their political choices, as this has remained his trait all through his political life.
It was however gathered that Buhari’s stance has however sparked speculations about potential defections and their implications for APC’s future.
The meeting between the APC governors and Buhari came at a critical time for the party, as it navigates internal challenges and external pressures ahead of the 2027 general election.
The APC has been grappling with internal conflicts, including disagreements over the party’s Presidential candidate selection process.
In 2022, the party’s National Working Committee, NWC adopted indirect primaries for electing its presidential candidate, rejecting the consensus arrangement, which affected the party greatly, especially those from the CPC Bloc, which the former president belonged to before the coming on board of APC on the 6th of February 2013.
The potential defections of key figures like Nwajiuba, Malami, and others could weaken the APC’s position, especially if they decide to join another party hence the quick intervention of the APC governors and their mission to Buhari’s home.
Buhari’s decision to distance himself from the issue may be seen as a reflection of his commitment to allow individuals make their own decisions about their party affiliation, just as it is obvious ious that the APC’s future hangs in the balance as it navigates these internal challenges.
