Group warns of alleged plot to destabilize APC governors' forum

Oluwaseyi Adedotun

The Forum of Nigerian Professionals in Politics (FNPP), a body of professionals active in partisan politics, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of what it calls a calculated scheme to destabilise the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) before the 2027 general election.

The group cautioned that any attempt to weaken the PGF’s leadership could damage the political coordination that underpins the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Renewed Hope Agenda.

In a statement jointly signed by the National Chairman, Sani Magaji, and the Secretary, Ike Chidolue, the group described the development as “dangerous, strategic, and capable of weakening the political coordination presently driving the Renewed Hope Agenda nationwide.”

According to the FNPP, the PGF, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma with Governor Uba Sani as Deputy Chairman, has become “one of the strongest stabilising political structures within the APC and the broader Renewed Hope political architecture nationally.”

The group said that since Uzodimma assumed leadership, the PGF has witnessed “unprecedented expansion, stronger coordination among governors, broader coalition-building, deeper inclusiveness, and remarkable strategic alignment around the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“Under his leadership, the PGF has become more disciplined, more cohesive, more strategic, and more effective in galvanizing support for President Tinubu across the federation,” the statement read.

The FNPP further claimed that the opposition recognised the political advantage a united and expanding PGF would present to the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, alleging that this motivated efforts to create instability within the forum.

“The opposition understands clearly that a stable, united, coordinated, and expanding PGF heading into 2027 represents a major political advantage for President Tinubu and the APC,” the group said.

Drawing parallels with events in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2015 elections, the group referenced the removal of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi from the leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, arguing that the decision contributed to the collapse of the PDP’s dominance at the national level. “The APC must not repeat that mistake,” the statement added.

The FNPP warned that any attempt to “destabilise, weaken, undermine, or fracture” the current leadership of the PGF at this stage would be “politically immature, strategically dangerous, and capable of undermining the 2027 reelection project of the president.”

While acknowledging that governors may legitimately aspire to lead the forum in the future, the group stressed that “this is not the time for ego-driven calculations or internal political warfare.”

The group subsequently urged President Tinubu to intervene and ensure unity within the APC.

The statement read: “We, therefore, respectfully urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently wade into this matter and call all leaders within the progressive family to order.

“No personal ambition must become greater than the collective objective of sustaining the Renewed Hope Agenda and securing victory for the APC in 2027.

“The president must protect the structures that are working, and also protect the machinery stabilising the coalition.”

The FNPP reaffirmed its commitment to the continuity and consolidation of the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Tinubu’s leadership.