Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, has refuted assertions made by Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s group that members of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC) had ruled out defection and pledged their support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking through his media aide, Muhammed Bello Doka, Malami stressed that the CPC bloc—originally the political platform of former President Muhammadu Buhari—had not authorized Al-Makura’s group to speak on its behalf regarding any political decisions, including remaining within the APC.
Malami questioned the legitimacy of Al-Makura’s claims, asking whether those being referred to as the CPC bloc included individuals like Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, former Katsina State Governor Bello Masari, and Faruku Adamu Aliyu. He accused these figures of previously betraying former President Buhari in a bid to secure political relevance and personal advantage within the APC.
He emphasized that any decision or pronouncement made by the group was their personal choice and should not be construed as representing the position of the CPC bloc as a whole.
Addressing recent speculation about his alleged defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Malami dismissed the rumours as baseless. He maintained that as a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, any move he makes would be public and transparent, not carried out in secrecy.
“Malami remains a member of the APC, although he is currently engaged in wide-ranging consultations with various political platforms,” his aide stated. “It is premature to speak of defection or any official political declaration until these consultations are concluded.”
The aide further noted that Malami is still very much active in politics and affirmed that he reserves the right to join any political party or contest for any political position in Kebbi State when the time is appropriate.
This development comes after former Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, former Katsina State Governor Bello Masari, former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, and about 20 others issued a communique reaffirming their loyalty to the APC and President Tinubu’s administration. In the communique, they denied reports of disaffection or plans to defect, asserting their full alignment with the APC’s leadership.
Additionally, it is worth recalling that during a recent visit by APC National Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje and other party leaders to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, Buhari emphasized that individuals had the freedom to associate with any political party of their choice.
