Political parties are supposed to nurture those who invested in them, but we still have a situation where we have usurpers, interlopers, and criminals jumping in through the window
On Wednesday, members of the 7th National Assembly who were elected on the platform of the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change recanted their claims that Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate former governor of Kaduna State, and Abubakar Malami conspired to depose President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
In a news conference held in Abuja, members of the National Assembly declared their disapproval of the expanding coalition and declared that El-Rufai and Malami lacked the legal authority to represent the erstwhile legacy party.
The head of the group, Nasiru Ila, slammed Malami for his recent comments casting doubt on the validity of the CPC section headed by ex-governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura.
The only group with the power to negotiate with the new opposition alliance headed by El-Rufai and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he said, was the one that was in alignment with former President Muhammadu Buhari, which included himself.
As a response, Ila—a former senior special assistant to President Buhari on national assembly matters—stated that the CPC had not delegated authority to Malami or any other organization outside of the elected representatives.
He said, “We, the former elected members of the CPC from the 7th 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 twelve million Nigerians, predominantly in northern Nigeria, who entrusted us with their mandate.”
Aliyu Gedin, a former lawmaker, voiced his dissatisfaction with the marginalization of his faction, but yet emphasized their unwavering allegiance to the APC.
“it does not negate the fact that we are bona fide members of the APC. Political parties are supposed to nurture those who invested in them, but we still have a situation where we have usurpers, interlopers, and criminals jumping in through the window.
“I will not sit down here and say we are okay with the government. It has never been my nature. It is not the nature of the CPC. Certainly, it is not the nature or in our DNA to shy away from the truth.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing right in a lot of things, but there is still room to improve. There’s still room for correction.”