APC govs visit Buhari amid associates’ defections to SDP ahead of 2027

State governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) visited former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna State on Monday.
The delegation, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who also chairs the All Progressives Governors Forum, held a closed-door meeting with Buhari. Speaking to the press afterward, Uzodimma explained that the visit was primarily to check on Buhari’s well-being, referring to him as the “father of the APC.”
The meeting took place amid a wave of defections from the APC, with some of Buhari’s loyalists recently leaving the party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Notably, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was the first to defect, claiming that he had Buhari’s blessing to join the SDP. By mid-March, several former ministers who served in Buhari’s administration were also planning to follow suit. In Buhari’s home state of Katsina, some APC members have also made the switch to the SDP.
Despite these defections, Uzodimma emphasized that Monday’s visit symbolized unity and strength within the APC. He described Buhari as a father figure in politics and expressed gratitude that the former president was in good health. Uzodimma noted that after the Ramadan, Lent, and Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, the governors felt it was important to pay their respects to the former president, who served eight years under the APC.
Uzodimma said, “We came to pay former President Muhammadu Buhari a courtesy visit. You know former President Muhammadu Buhari is the only former President produced by the APC.
“We came and saw him in good health. We fraternised with him; we stayed with him and are ready to go back to our various businesses.
“We met with him and he is well pleased with our party. He expressed surprise about our visit. We are happy and thankful to Almighty God because we met him in good health. He is our father in politics. He is well pleased with our party and all of us, his children.
“He (Buhari) is well pleased with our visit. Members of our forum are pleased with him. We met him in good health because you know that our party, APC is the largest party in Africa and is the ruling party. The only party with 21 Governors. The party is strong, and we will continue to work hard to make it stronger.”
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, commended Buhari for supporting President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
“We are here along with other APC governors to visit former President Muhammadu Buhari. We are happy the way former President Buhari is supporting our party and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Sani said.
The APC governors earlier had a closed-door meeting with former President Buhari, where they discussed various issues affecting the party and the country.