Governors under the All Progressives Congress (APC) paid a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Daura, Katsina State. Although the visit was presented as a Sallah homage, insiders say the main reason for the trip was to seek Buhari’s help in stopping some of his loyalists from leaving the APC.
The visit, which took place on Monday, was led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who also serves as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum. During a closed-door meeting, the governors praised Buhari for his past leadership and noted that his government set the groundwork for national growth.
However, the deeper concern shared among the governors was the growing fear of defections from the party, particularly among allies closely linked to Buhari’s former political group, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which merged into the APC in 2013. This group, once a core base of support for Buhari, still holds strong influence within the party.
The governors reportedly asked Buhari to personally reach out to two of his former cabinet members—former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba—to convince them to remain with the APC. Sources familiar with the meeting said that Buhari did not give any commitment, making it clear that he would not pressure anyone to stay or leave any political party.
“He told us he will remain in the APC, but that people are free to make their own political decisions. He said he has always respected people’s choices,” a source from the meeting quoted Buhari as saying.
The party is facing increasing pressure as some members have already defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Notably, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was the first to announce his exit, revealing that he had Buhari’s blessing to leave the party.
This wave of exits has raised concerns about the APC’s strength ahead of the 2027 elections. Insiders believe that if more key figures from the CPC bloc follow suit, it could severely damage the APC’s electoral prospects.
In Katsina State, Buhari’s home state, a number of local APC members have already crossed over to the SDP. Discussions are ongoing among former ministers and other loyalists who may follow the same path.
The APC has also been dealing with lingering internal issues. The method used to select its presidential candidate in 2022 caused divisions, especially among members from the former CPC. The decision to adopt indirect primaries instead of consensus left many dissatisfied.
