Presidency May Consider CPC Bloc for APC Chairmanship Slot

The Presidency is reportedly considering handing the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc. The CPC, once led by the late President Muhammadu Buhari, was one of the legacy parties that merged to form the APC in 2013. Though no longer formally recognized, loyalists of the bloc have continued to identify with its ideological roots within the APC.

This development comes as the APC prepares for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for July 25, which is expected to produce a new party chairman following the recent resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje. While several names are already being floated, including former governors Tanko Almakura and Joshua Dariye as well as Professor Kailani, insiders say the decision from the Presidential Villa will play a pivotal role in determining the final outcome.

Sources close to the party leadership revealed that there is growing momentum to give the CPC bloc the chairmanship slot in order to better integrate its members and prevent further defections, particularly to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has recently gained some high-profile former APC members including Nasir El-Rufai, Abubakar Malami, and Babachir Lawal.

Others like Almakura, Farouk Aliyu, Shittu, Osita Okechukwu, and Okoi Obono-Obla have remained within the APC fold and are considered key loyalists. Some stakeholders within the bloc argue that despite being a foundational element of the APC, CPC-aligned members have been significantly underrepresented in the party’s national leadership structure. They note that none of the six national chairmen the party has produced since its formation have come from the CPC tendency.

Prominent CPC-aligned figures have said the push is less about party factions and more about fairness, inclusion, and unity. Former communications minister Adebayo Shittu emphasized that any candidate from the bloc should be judged by loyalty and competence, not past affiliations. Osita Okechukwu echoed the sentiment, saying that loyal CPC-origin members such as Tanko Almakura or Saliu Mustapha deserve consideration, especially as they remain committed to President Bola Tinubu’s administration and his possible re-election bid.

Chief Okoi Obono-Obla added that the CPC bloc has been consistently marginalized in party affairs at national and state levels. He said it is time to give the bloc a stronger presence, arguing that doing so would strengthen internal unity and reduce grievances that have fueled recent defections.

However, the idea of bloc-based appointments has not been universally accepted. Some party chieftains insist that the position should follow the APC’s internal zoning arrangement, which designates the North Central as the rightful region to produce the next national chairman. Sunny Moniedafe, a former national chairmanship aspirant, insisted that zoning, not bloc politics, should guide the process. He also criticized the overbearing influence of the presidency on internal party affairs.

Reactions from APC chapters across the country have been mixed. The Adamawa State chapter expressed readiness to work with a chairman from any bloc, while Plateau State’s spokesman dismissed the relevance of the CPC bloc altogether, maintaining that the chairmanship should go to the North Central zone.

In Bauchi, the party emphasized that zoning decisions are exclusively within the purview of the national leadership. The state chairman clarified that no zoning committee has yet been formed and called for an inclusive approach that reflects the unity of the APC beyond legacy party lines.

In Rivers State, the party said every member has the right to aspire to leadership, stressing that ambition and association are integral parts of the democratic process.

Although the presidency remains officially silent on the matter—citing a period of mourning following Buhari’s death—sources suggest that the CPC bloc has a strong chance of clinching the position. Still, final decisions are expected to emerge after more consultations ahead of the crucial NEC meeting.