Farouk Aliyu: 2027 Elections: we are loyal to APC as the bloc pledges allegiance to Tinubu
In preparation for 2027 general elections, the conflict within the defund Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)−one of the parties forming collation against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to out the-then president Goodluck Jonathan−has continued to deteriorate.
Several reports, on Wednesday, revealed that 23 members of the defunct party met in Abuja to pledge loyalty President Bola Tinubu.
It is learned that the 23 members, known to be loyal to former president and leader of the party (CPC) Muhammadu Buhari, have switched allegiance.
Their meeting also shed light on their loyalty and denunciation of reports of defection by certain members of the bloc who are known to be in talks with the Coalition led by former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Among whom have pledged their loyalty to president Bola Tinubu include former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, the former governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari and former minority Leader, Honorable Farouk Aliyu.
However, their move was opposed to by former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who stated in a statement that the Al-Makura team could not hold meeting for the defunct party.
“When you say CPC bloc, one needs to know who they are referring to. Is it the likes of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Adamu Adamu, Masari and Faruku Adamu Aliyu who, a few months ago had been throwing Buhari under the bus, in desperate attempts to gain relevance that should decide for the bloc?” Malami asked.
Howbeit, speaking on Arise TV’s ‘Morning Show’ programme, the former Minority Leader in the Federal House of Representatives, Honourable Farouk Aliyu, stated that power bloc is no longer in existence in APC, claiming that loyalty has long been given to the new leader of the party, President Bola Tinubu.
He also indicated that public indictment of former president Muhammadu Buhari’s government by certain members of the party are currently enjoying the goodies if Tinubu.
He said: ”First of all, loyalty is to the party first because we belong to a party, APC is our platform and by the grace of God, the leader of APC today is the President! So, our loyalty is both to the President and the party.
“Now, as to whether the President is blaming Muhammadu Buhari for some things that had happened, well, you know in politics there are certain things that you can’t run away from.
“There are certainly some people who will say some things but that doesn’t mean, …you haven’t ever heard the President in person said anything bad about Buhari or blamed him for anything that has happened.
“What Nigerians should know is that what is the difference between Buhari and Tinubu? It is same party, same government. So, I want to assure you that there is no discontent between the two leaders.
“For us that came from the root of Muhammadu Buhari, and now to Tinubu, from CPC to APC. It is a merger we had and we are APC now.
“So, talking about where we come from isn’t even tenable! We are conscious of what we are doing because certain members of our group are threatening to go.
“One of our prominent leaders left (referring to el Rufai), so we needed to clear, we needed to tell the public that yes, one of us have left but that doesn’t mean that all of us have gone.
“In politics, you can’t stop people from doing whatever they want to do.”
The leader of the CPC rebuffed the allegation of sectionalism in the party by Tinubu’s administration, citing that the party reigned during the eight years of Buhari.
He said: “I don’t know what you mean by our bloc. First of all, we are all APC and in the government of Tinubu, we have five members of the cabinet that are of CPC bloc.
“Unfortunately, we have to start thinking of Nigeria as one people, one nation, one destiny. When President Buhari was in government, North-western part of the country where Buhari came from had ten Ministers, ten full cabinet Ministers, excluding Ministers of State! Nobody complained!!
“Now, people are complaining about Tinubu. Let us begin to look at these things as Nigerians, let us give benefit of doubt to the leader. 2027 Elections: We Are Loyal To APC – Farouk Aliyu
“If it doesn’t work, when election comes, they can show him what he has done and why they won’t vote for him, not to go about insulting him. We should be civilized human beings and politicians.
The difference between us and the El Rufai group is that we already have a candidate in Tinubu whom we will rally round to continue as President.”
The former legislator also dismissed El-Rufai’s scathing indictment of Tinubu’s administration, who tagged it as the most corrupt government in the history of Nigeria.
“I think it is very subjective. If Mallam Nasir El-Rufai said Tinubu is very corrupt, APC is the worst government, when did he realize this? Is it because he isn’t a Minister today?
“This was the same gentleman who rallied round candidate Tinubu first, who insulted all Northern leaders because of Tinubu.
“Professor Ango Abdullahi who signed the certificate of El Rufai at Ahmadu Bello University, as a leader of the Northern Elders Forum, he insulted him, calling all the
Northern leaders, who are the elders? That he is an elder and that whether anybody likes it or not, Tinubu must be elected.
“God in His infinite mercy answered that prayer and call. Now he was promised to be a Minister and he didn’t become a minister. This is an elitist thing.
“All the members of the public know that it is about us the elite; when we lose out, we start screaming, because if Nasir were made a Minister, today he would probably be in the forefront of insulting others.
“That he lost out, he can’t see it as an act of God. The same party that made you governor for eight years. All of a sudden, because you didn’t become a minister, you start insulting everybody.”
2027 Elections: We Are Loyal To APC – Farouk Aliyu
