The main reason for the visit of APC governors to Buhari in Daura has emerged amidst the confusion of the much touted Sallah Homage.
The delegation, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma—Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum—had a closed-door meeting with the former president, and commended him for his achievements in office. The APC governors stated that Buhari’s administration is noted to having laid a strong foundation for the country’s future development.
While the visit was publicly described as a Sallah homage, insiders revealed that the underlying purpose was to seek Buhari’s intervention in advising against the mass defection of his loyalists from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The appeal was reportedly necessitated by the growing concerns over potential defections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)—a key bloc within the APC—remains highly influential, with Buhari regarded as its central figure. There are fears within the APC that the mass exit of CPC loyalists could severely weaken the party.
The meeting comes amid a wave of defections by Buhari’s allies to the SDP. Recall that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was the first to publicly announce his departure, claiming he had secured Buhari’s blessing beforehand. Several former ministers who served in Buhari’s cabinet are reportedly perfecting plans to move en masse to the SDP. In Buhari’s home state of Katsina, some APC members have already defected.
For context, the CPC was founded in 2009 and later merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2013 to form the APC.
Sources close to the meeting disclosed that the governors particularly urged Buhari to speak to former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and former Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, to discourage them from leaving the APC.
However, a source privy to the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Buhari appeared reluctant to intervene, insisting that political affiliations are personal decisions. The former president reportedly maintained that it has always been his principle not to interfere in individuals’ political choices.
Buhari’s stance has since fueled further speculation about possible defections and their implications for the APC’s future.
The meeting comes at a critical time for the APC, as the party grapples with internal conflicts and external pressures ahead of the 2027 general election. The APC has faced lingering disagreements over the presidential candidate selection process. In 2022, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) adopted indirect primaries, rejecting the consensus arrangement, a move that particularly affected members of the CPC bloc.
The potential defections of key figures like Nwajiuba, Malami, and others could weaken the APC’s position significantly, prompting the urgent intervention by the APC governors.
