Abuja, Nigeria – Fresh cracks are emerging within Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as key figures loyal to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc are reportedly weighing a dramatic exit ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Multiple insider sources within the party revealed growing discontent among CPC veterans, who feel sidelined in the current party structure and national leadership. Their possible defection could pose a serious threat to the cohesion of the APC, especially with presidential ambitions already heating up across factions.
“The CPC bloc has been reduced to spectators,” said a senior northern politician closely aligned with the former CPC movement. “We are not being consulted, not being respected, and certainly not being rewarded. This is not what we built APC for.”
The APC was born in 2013 from the merger of four major opposition parties: the CPC, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Buhari’s CPC brought in massive northern grassroots support that helped secure APC’s historic 2015 win.
But since Buhari left office in 2023, the CPC bloc’s influence has waned, particularly under the current Tinubu-led administration, which many CPC stalwarts feel has tilted the power balance heavily toward the southwest-dominated ACN wing.
There are already hints of secret talks between CPC loyalists and opposition figures to explore potential alliances or even revive the CPC brand under a new platform. Some insiders hint that discussions are being brokered in Kaduna and Kano – CPC’s traditional strongholds.
A defection of this magnitude could not only fracture the APC ahead of 2027 but also galvanize disaffected northern voters, creating new political equations and possibly emboldening third-force movements.
Political analysts are already warning of a replay of the pre-2015 scenario where internal divisions triggered a realignment that upended the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“The signs are clear. If the APC leadership fails to address this brewing rebellion, they risk a full-blown exodus that could realign national politics,” said Dr. Hadiza Murtala, a political analyst at the Centre for Democratic Studies.
While the APC national leadership has not officially responded to the reports, party insiders claim urgent reconciliation efforts may be launched to retain the CPC faction and prevent a damaging split.
As 2027 draws closer, Nigeria’s political landscape appears primed for another seismic shift — one that may yet again redefine party loyalty, regional power, and national destiny.
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