2027: Buhari Ally Farouk Aliyu Denies CPC Bloc Plans to Leave APC

Farouk Aliyu, a close associate of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed claims that the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc is planning to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Aliyu, who identified himself as a member of Buhari’s inner circle, insisted that the CPC faction remains fully committed to the APC, calling the rumours baseless.

“There’s no truth to it. No member of the defunct CPC is planning to exit the APC,” he said. “Our party’s certificate was part of what created the APC. So, where would we go? This is our home.”

Aliyu, a former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, also dismissed suggestions that Buhari supported Nasir El-Rufai’s exit from the APC. He criticized the former Kaduna governor, implying his actions were motivated by personal disappointment over not being appointed as a minister.

He called on APC leadership to actively engage all party blocs to minimize internal rivalry and discord ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Politics is about engagement and accommodating the interests of different groups. This includes not just CPC members, but also those from the PDP and other factions,” Aliyu stated.

He emphasized that the APC would not allow the opposition coalition led by Atiku Abubakar to reclaim power. Describing the coalition as a group of “strange bedfellows,” he expressed confidence that internal disagreements over candidate selection would derail their plans.

It’s worth recalling that the APC was formed in 2013 through a merger involving Buhari’s CPC, Bola Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).