Former members of the seventh national assembly elected on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have said the ex-governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, and his faction in the CPC have no authority to speak on behalf of the legacy party.
The forum announced Tanko Al-Makura, former governor of Nasarawa, as its leader, noting that he was the only state chief executive elected on the platform of the CPC.
Rising from a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the group described Malami and el-Rufai as political “lightweights” who carry a “negative balance” in value.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Nasiru Ila, chairman of the forum, said members remain committed to the values that birthed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and expressed loyalty to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“It has come to our attention that certain individuals, groups, and entities who had no electoral value during the heyday of the CPC have falsely claimed to speak for or represent the CPC, purporting to act on behalf of its legacy and its millions of supporters,” Ila said.
“We categorically declare that no person, group of persons, or entity has the authority to speak for or on behalf of the defunct CPC, except the elected representatives of the party who were duly chosen by its supporters in 2011.
“We, the former elected members of the CPC from the seventh assembly, and many more who stood for elections, won, and were subsequently robbed of their hard-earned, hard-won, yet short-lived victories, remain the only legitimate and authentic voice of the defunct CPC.
“We are the true custodians of the party’s legacy and the representatives of the 12 million Nigerians, predominantly in northern Nigeria, who entrusted us with their mandate.”
He asked Nigerians, especially supporters of the CPC across the north and beyond, to disregard any statements or actions made in the name of the defunct party without authorisation.
Ila reaffirmed members’ loyalty to President Tinubu, adding that they would continue to defend the core values of the APC while ensuring the voices of its supporters are not “exploited or misrepresented”.
He also urged the media, civil society, and the public to verify any claims made under the banner of the CPC, insisting that only members of the seventh assembly and Al-Makura are the legitimate voices of the legacy party.
In attendance at the meeting were Ibrahim Musa, Ibrahim Gobir, Sanusi Aliyu, Mohammed Tukur, Ahmed Sani, Ibrahim Chachangi, Yusuf Bala, and Garuba Datti, the current APC national vice-chairman (north-west).
