Congress for Progressive Change

Last updated

Congress for Progressive Change
Chairman Tony Momoh
Secretary-General Buba Galadima
Founded2009 (2009) [1]
Dissolved2013
Merged into All Progressives Congress
HeadquartersPlot 1132 Utako District, Abuja [2]
Ideology Social liberalism
Federalism
Social conservatism
Political position Centre
ColoursPale blue

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was a political party founded in Nigeria in 2009. [1]

Contents

In February 2013, the party merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance to form the All Progressives Congress. [3]

Foundation

The Congress for Progressive Change originated in The Buhari Organization (TBO) formed in 2006 by General Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler of Nigeria, and his associates. [4] The first National Chairman was Kano Central senator Rufai Hanga. [5] After the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) nominated Buhari as its 2007 presidential candidate, TBO worked with the ANPP in the election campaign, but there was friction between the two groups. Following the April 2007 elections in which President Umaru Yar'adua was elected, Buhari instituted a court appeal against the result. The ANPP decided to join Yar'Adua in his government of national unity, and attempted to persuade Buhari to withdraw the suit, indicating lack of full support for Buhari in the ANPP. Buhari decided that he needed a new platform to support his political ambitions. [4]

The Congress for Progressive Change filed an application to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 26 March 2009, and received official approval and registration on 28 December 2009. [1] The majority of its initial members were formerly members of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). [6] Buhari formally left the ANPP and joined the CPC in March 2010. He said that he had supported foundation of the CPC "as a solution to the debilitating, ethical and ideological conflicts in my former party the ANPP". [1] In January 2011, a former Information Minister, Prince Tony Momoh, became the National Chairman of the party. The National Secretary of the party was Engineer Buba Galadima, a founding member. Rufai Hanga, the former chairman and now an aspirant for governor of Kano State, was present at the meeting where Momoh was selected. [7]

Ideology

The agenda of the CPC supported individual liberty, rights and social welfare for the less privileged. The party advocated political liberalism, as originated by the American philosopher, John Rawls. The party's manifesto insisted on the amendment of the Nigerian constitution with the view of devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench federalism and the federal spirit. [8] The party constitution was silent on the issue of zoning, a common practice in Nigeria under which key positions are allocated in rotation to representatives from each region of the country. [7]

April 2011 elections

There were various problems with ballot papers in the April 2011 elections. The CPC found that just before the elections, its logo was missing from ballot papers in some constituencies of Ogun, Jigawa, Gombe, Anambra, Imo and Rivers states. Prince Tony Momoh protested in a strong letter to professor Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He described the omission as "a premeditated attempt to prevent our numerous supporters from voting for those they believe can bring the change they demand for their lives". [9]

Although the CPC had rapidly gained support in the North of Nigeria, fielding many candidates in the National elections in April 2011, it did not have the same financial resources as the incumbent People's Democratic Party (PDP). [4] Elections were held for most seats in the National Assembly Senate and House of Representatives on 9 April 2011, although some had to be delayed due to problems with ballot papers. In the first round of elections held on 9 April, the CPC came third in both Senate and House seats gained. In the Senate, the PDP won 53 seats, followed by the ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) with 13 seats, CPC 6 seats, ANPP 4 seats and other parties took 4 seats. In the House, the PDP gained 123 seats, ACN 45, CPC 21, ANPP 11 and other parties 18 seats. [10]

Buhari ran as the CPC candidate in the presidential election held on 16 April 2011. He garnered 12,214,853 votes, coming second to the incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, who polled 22,495,187 votes and was declared the winner. [11] The election, considered to have been conducted much more fairly than previous ones, revealed extreme polarization between North and South. Buhari won in all the core northern states comprising North East and North West apart from Adamawa State and Taraba State, while Jonathan won in all North Central states apart from Niger State and all southern states apart from Osun State, where Nuhu Ribadu gained the most votes. Turnout was considerably higher in the south than in the north, although the north had more voters. [12] Following the election, the CPC said it was considering going to court to challenge the result, which it said was marred by widespread irregularities, particularly in the South East and South South zones. [11]

Subsequent events

In an interview in November 2011, former Senator Rufai Hanga stated that he had not resigned as chairman to contest the Kano State governorship election. He said he was still chairman of the party, and had gone to court to get this recognized. In February 2012, Chief Dennis Aghanya, a leading member of the Hanga faction, said the CPC must resolve internal disputes. He also criticized the Momoh faction for constantly making confrontational statements after each political development in the country, saying "Society looks at us as a bunch of rascals". [13] In February 2012, Rufai Hanga served notice through the Federal High Court, Abuja on the CPC national secretariat to vacate their premises which they were renting from him. In March 2012, he said he was not proceeding with the action. [5] The CPC merged with several other parties into the All Progressives Congress in 2013.

Electoral history

Presidential Elections

YearParty candidateRunning mateVotes%Result
2011 Muhammadu Buhari Tunde Bakare 12,214,85331.97%LostRed x.svg

House of Representatives and Senate elections

ElectionParty leader House of Representatives Senate
Votes%Seats+/–PositionVotes%Seats+/–Position
2011 Tony Momoh 4,212,28314.75%
38 / 360
Increase2.svg 38Increase2.svg 4th

See also

Related Research Articles

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was a political party in Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Nigerian general election</span> General election held in Nigeria

General elections were held in Nigeria on 21 April 2007 to elect the President and National Assembly. Governorship and State Assembly elections had been held on 14 April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action Congress of Nigeria</span> Political party

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a Nigerian political party formed via the merger from the coming together of a faction of Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor political parties in September 2006. The party controlled Lagos. It was regarded as a natural successor to the progressive politics more closely associated with the Action Group and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the First and Second Republics respectively. However, criticism of the party's more pragmatic and less ideological political outlook associated with AG and UPN, has made many argue it was less of a worthy political heir. The Party had strong presence in the South West, Mid-West and North Central Regions. Lagos, Edo, Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo, Bauchi, Plateau, Niger, Adamawa, Oyo and Osun states by far accounts for majority of the party's presence and discernible power base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Nigerian Republic</span> Current government of Nigeria, since 1999

The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and 1983 and suffers many of the same problems, such as multiple ministries which made policy planning difficult. Nigeria adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on 29 May 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawali Shuaibu</span> Nigerian politician (born 1955)

Lawali Shuaibu is a Nigerian politician who was elected senator for the Zamfara North Senatorial District of Zamfara State, Nigeria at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, running on the All People's Party (APP) platform. He took office on 29 May 1999. He was re-elected on the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) platform in 2003 to a second term of four years.

Abu Ibrahim is a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator for the Katsina South (Funtua) Senatorial district in April 2003 on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform, serving for one term until May 2007. He was re-elected to the same seat in April 2011.

Khalifa Ahmed Zanna was a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator for Borno Central, in Borno State, in the 9 April 2011 national elections at the age of 55. He was elected under the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) and was re-elected 2015 but died on 16 May 2015, few days before resuming office.

Basheer Lado Garba Mohammed is a Nigerian businessman who was elected Senator for the Kano Central constituency of Kano State, Nigeria in the April 2011 national elections, running on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform.

Danladi Abdullahi Sankara is a Nigerian politician who served as the senator representing the Jigawa North-West senatorial district from 2011 to 2015 and from 2019 to 2023. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress.

Ibrahim Musa is a Nigerian lawyer who was elected Senator for the Niger North constituency of Niger State, Nigeria in the April 2011 national elections.

Yusuf Musa Nagogo is a Nigerian politician who was declared elected in the April 2011 elections for the Nasarawa North Senatorial constituency of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. He ran on the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) platform.

Prince Tony Momoh was a Nigerian journalist and a politician who was Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture (1986–1990) during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Buba Galadima is a Nigerian politician who was National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party formed in the run-up to the 2011 national elections as a leading platform for former military ruler and President of Nigeria General Muhammadu Buhari. He was the Spokesperson of the People's Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Progressives Congress</span> Nigerian political party

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, the party came to power following the victory of party candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election. This marked the first time in Nigerian history that an opposition party unseated a governing party and power was transferred peacefully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanre Tejuosho</span> Nigerian politician

Olanrewaju Adeyemi Tejuoso is a Nigerian politician. He was a senator from Ogun State at the 8th Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasir Adhama</span> Nigerian politician (born 1977)

Nasir Adhama in Kano, Nigeria, is a Nigerian politician and youth activist who served as a Senior Special Assistant to Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Youth and Student affairs.

Ismaeel Buba Ahmed, who is popularly called Leader is a Nigerian politician, lawyer, and youth leader who has served as a Senior Special Assistant on National Social Investment Program to Nigerian Former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2018 to 2022.

Kabiru Muhammad Gwangwazo is an activist, journalist and a Nigerian politician from Kano state, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Kano State</span> 2023 Senate elections in Kano

The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Kano State will be held on 25 February 2023, to elect the 3 federal Senators from Kano State, one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election, as well as other elections to the Senate and elections to the House of Representatives; with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.

Ibrahim Al-Amin Little is a Nigerian politician and businessman. He is a former chairman of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in Kano State and a former gubernatorial candidate. He is also a cousin-in-law of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Emeka Mamah (18 March 2010). "Buhari Joins Congress for Progressive Change". Vanguard. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  2. Ahuraka Yusuf Isah (17 March 2011). "Bauchi Guber - Court to Hear Case Against Cpc Candidate". Leadership. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  3. Maram, Mazen (7 February 2013). "Nigerian Biggest Opposition Parties Agree to Merge". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Taiwo Adisa (13 March 2011). "Buhari in the North Myth or reality?". Nigerian Tribune. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  5. 1 2 Abbas Jimoh (2 March 2012). "Why I stopped CPC eviction –Sen Hanga". Daily Trust. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  6. "CPC: The meteoric rise of a phenomenon". Vanguard. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  7. 1 2 Tordue Salem (7 January 2011). "Tony Momoh emerges CPC National Chairman". Vanguard. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  8. Oboro Andaolotu (19 March 2011). "Buhari CPC And Political Liberalism". Sahara Reporters. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  9. OBIORA IFOH (3 April 2011). "CPC's logo missing in ballot paper: 'It's designed to rig us out'". National Mirror. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. "Summary". Nigeria Elections Coalition. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  11. 1 2 Festus Owete (21 April 2011). "Congress for Progressive Change considers going to court". Next. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  12. "Nigeria election: Riots over Goodluck Jonathan win". BBC News. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  13. Onyebuchi Ezigbo (15 February 2012). "'Internal Wrangling Portrays CPC as Rascals'". ThisDay. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.

Further reading