Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Chapter of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on Saturday held a high-powered Consultative Stakeholders’ Forum, bringing together party executives, elders, aspirants, and grassroots mobilizers from all 23 local government areas of the state.
The meeting was described as both timely and strategic, designed to chart a fresh direction for the party, strengthen internal unity, and reaffirm its relevance as a formidable bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In his opening remarks, State Chairman of the CPC and former Deputy Governorship Candidate, Ibrahim Magaji Gusau, said the forum was convened to redefine the party’s strategic agenda and confront challenges threatening its survival in Sokoto politics.
He noted that CPC has always stood for democracy built on transparency, inclusiveness, peace, and people-centered development, stressing that those values must be restored if the party is to retain its strength ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the gathering also exposed growing grievances within the Sokoto APC.
Members of the CPC bloc accused the party leadership of systematic marginalization, claiming that despite their numerical strength, they continue to be excluded from critical decisions and appointments.
Hon. Gusau recalled that CPC leaders had been promised ministerial, special assistant, and board chairmanship slots by the late President Muhammadu Buhari after his 2025 election victory.
He lamented that those pledges were never fulfilled, leaving the CPC bloc without recognition or reward for its loyalty and sacrifices.
Stakeholders further argued that CPC mobilizers were instrumental in Buhari’s historic win, particularly through grassroots campaigns across northern Nigeria.
Yet, they warned that continued exclusion has fueled discontent and threatens the APC’s stability in Sokoto as the 2027 polls draw closer.
Adding to the tension is the supremacy battle between Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and Senator Ibrahim Lamido, which has split the APC into rival factions.
Leaders at the forum cautioned that unless urgent steps are taken, these divisions could cripple the party’s electoral chances.
Hon. Gusau warned that if grievances remain unaddressed, CPC loyalists may be forced to seek alternative platforms to pursue their political aspirations. He stressed that sidelining CPC members has created deep resentment that can no longer be ignored.
Speakers at the forum also complained that the marginalization extends beyond political appointments, accusing the APC leadership of neglecting grassroots mobilizers, undermining unity, and betraying the sacrifices of those who built the party from the ground up.
The stakeholders unanimously appealed to APC National Chairman, Dr. Nentawe Yildwata, to intervene urgently, insisting that only decisive action from the national leadership can prevent a total collapse of the APC in Sokoto and restore trust among disillusioned members.
Beyond party politics, the forum also addressed broader challenges facing Sokoto and the northern region, including insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and governance deficits.
Participants decried the persistence of banditry and kidnapping, warning that these crises continue to claim lives and cripple development.
They resolved that tackling insecurity must go beyond political promises, calling for a collective, non-partisan approach involving federal and state governments, security agencies, traditional rulers, and local communities.
At the end of the meeting, CPC stakeholders resolved to intensify grassroots engagement, embark on aggressive membership mobilization, and field credible candidates with integrity and competence in future elections.
They pledged to remain the conscience of the people, warning that Sokoto must not be left behind in the march toward a new and better Nigeria.
