By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

A forum of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central geopolitical zone has called on Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, to align with other party leaders supporting President Bola Tinubu’s administration and his potential re-election bid in 2027.

Operating under the aegis of the North Central APC Forum, the group urged Governor Sule to clearly declare his stance on Tinubu’s administration, following recent remarks made by the governor regarding the political direction of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc within the APC.

The CPC was one of the parties that merged to form the APC. Recently, members of the CPC bloc have been courted by an opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

In April, former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura led some chieftains of the CPC bloc to pledge allegiance to President Tinubu and the APC, affirming that the group would not join the opposition coalition.

However, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, countered Al-Makura’s statement, suggesting that only the former President Muhammadu Buhari camp of the CPC bloc, which he represents, has the authority to make decisions regarding its political direction.

At a reception in Lafia on May 3, 2025, Governor Sule supported Malami’s position, stating:

“There is only one person in this world that can decide for the CPC, and that is our father, Muhammadu Buhari. Nobody speaks for the CPC more than this man. The day he says CPC is with you, then CPC is with you. The day he says CPC is not with you, it is not with you. Because he is the CPC himself. He keeps carrying his 12 million voters along with him everywhere he goes.”

In response, the North Central APC Forum, through its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, expressed concern over Sule’s comments, interpreting them as misaligned with the CPC bloc’s pledge of support to President Tinubu.

The Forum pointed out that Tanko Al-Makura’s leadership of the CPC bloc, which pledged loyalty to Tinubu, marked a clear political stance. It emphasized Al-Makura’s significant role as the only governor elected under the CPC platform, contributing to the formation of the APC.

“Nobody will say he is more CPC than Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, the former Governor of Nasarawa State. It is on record that Al-Makura was the only person who became governor on the CPC platform, giving the party leverage in the negotiations that led to the formation of the APC,” the statement read.

The Forum called on Governor Sule to avoid public commentary on the political direction of the CPC bloc, suggesting that Al-Makura’s pledge of support to Tinubu should be seen as definitive.

“We urge Governor Abdullahi Sule to make his position clear—either he is with President Bola Tinubu or not. If he is with the President, he should align with other progressives working towards the administration’s success and re-election in 2027,” the statement added.

The Forum also referenced Governor Sule’s earlier criticisms of some of Tinubu’s policies, noting that such positions raised questions about his commitment to the administration’s goals.

The North Central APC Forum commended Tanko Al-Makura and other CPC bloc leaders for their clear endorsement of President Tinubu and expressed optimism about their continued support for the administration’s agenda.

“As stakeholders of the North-Central who have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027, we salute the Tanko Al-Makura-led CPC bloc for standing behind the President,” the statement concluded.