The Forum of State Chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressives’ Change (CPC) has declared their support for President Bola Tinubu, stating that the breakaway members from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have merely exercised their democratic rights.
The group in a statement signed by the National Secretary, Sulaiman Oyaremi, and representatives of each of the zones, Lekan Obolo, Mike Agbe, Enyinnaya Ibiam Nnachi, Isah Ramatu Saidu, Ahmad Dawayo and Musa Abubakar Damaliki said: “We believe that we owe ourselves a duty to support the current leader of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and contribute to the transformation of APC into an inclusive institution where all stakeholders would have a sense of belonging and ownership.”
The statement read: “We, members of the Forum of State Chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressives’ Change (CPC), have observed with discomfort the way the CPC bloc in the ruling All Progressives’ Congress (APC) has become a subject of political controversy in recent times.
“Unfortunately, with several camps speaking for the defunct CPC, the situation has exposed a lack of coherent leadership within the bloc. We are further concerned that this development signposts a lack of inclusiveness in the leadership of APC and the government it birthed.
“It is a self-evident reality that members of the defunct CPC, especially former State Chairmen of the legacy party, have not been treated fairly either through government appointments or party apparatus both at the national and state levels, their contributions to the electoral successes of the party notwithstanding.
“Against the conflicting statements concerning the position of the CPC bloc within the APC, we believe that those who chose to either leave or remain in APC have merely exercised their democratic rights
“On our part, as members of the Forum for State Chairmen of the defunct CPC, while we do not begrudge those who have decided to quit APC, we wish to state without any ambiguity that, except for a few of us, we are unanimous in our decision to remain in the party with our principal, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We also want to use this medium to call the attention of the President to the multifarious challenges that Nigerians face. The high level of insecurity and economic hardship are becoming existential threats to many citizens.
“It is, therefore, important that the President, APC governments at all levels and the leadership of the party give these challenges the desired attention. These issues of governance, rather than the 2027 elections, should constitute our priority as we move closer to the second anniversary of the current government.”
