The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has called on Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule to stop ‘playing a double game’ and clarify whether he supports President Bola Tinubu or aligns with those opposing him.
In a statement by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, on Saturday, the Forum criticised recent comments made by Governor Sule regarding the political direction of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc within the APC.
The CPC was one of the political parties that merged to form the APC. Recently, members of the bloc have been courted to join an opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
In April, former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura led prominent CPC members in pledging allegiance to Tinubu and the APC, firmly rejecting the opposition coalition. However, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami countered this position, asserting that only former President Muhammadu Buhari’s camp of the CPC bloc could determine the group’s political direction.
Sule, speaking at a reception in Lafia on 3 May 2025, supported Malami’s stance, 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’.
The North-Central APC Forum expressed disappointment at Governor Sule’s comments, which they argued contradict the earlier pledge of allegiance to Tinubu by Al-Makura’s CPC bloc.
The Forum noted that since Al-Makura led key CPC leaders, including former Katsina State Governor Bello Masari, in affirming loyalty to Tinubu, efforts have been made by Buhari’s allies to undermine this endorsement.
The forum emphasised saying, ‘Abdullahi Sule should stop playing a double game and declare whether he stands with President Bola Tinubu or with those in the camp of former President Buhari, who we know do not wish the Tinubu administration success. Nobody can claim greater authority over the CPC bloc than Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, who achieved the feat of becoming the only governor elected on the CPC platform, which was pivotal in the formation of the APC’.
The Forum accused Sule of attempting to undermine Tinubu’s administration and questioned his allegiance, noting his perceived lack of support for Tinubu during the APC presidential primaries and his opposition to key reform policies.
‘Governor Abdullahi Sule must make his position clear. Is he with President Bola Tinubu or with those opposing him? If he supports the President, he must stop associating with those working against him and wholeheartedly back the administration’.
The Forum also criticised Sule’s comments about the CPC bloc’s leadership, stating that they reflect a lack of understanding of the party’s history. They pointed out that Al-Makura’s leadership is firmly rooted in the bloc’s success and alignment with President Tinubu’s vision for the APC.
‘The North-Central APC Forum stands with the Tanko Al-Makura-led CPC bloc, which has unequivocally pledged loyalty to President Tinubu. Any attempts to downplay this endorsement undermine the unity and progress of the party’, the statement concluded.
The Forum reiterated its commitment to President Tinubu’s administration and second-term bid in 2027, urging all party members to align with his leadership for the benefit of the nation.
