Members of the now-defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) have voiced their dissatisfaction with the All Progressives Congress (APC), threatening to withdraw from the party 12 years after its formation due to alleged marginalisation by both late President Muhammadu Buhari and current President Bola Tinubu.
The APC was established in 2013 through the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the ANPP, forming a formidable coalition that went on to unseat the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its then-President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.
Prof. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, National Coordinator of the Association of former ANPP members, expressed their grievances to journalists in Abuja, stating that since the APC’s inception, former ANPP members have been systematically sidelined. He disclosed plans for upcoming state and zonal meetings aimed at updating members on their decisions regarding the issue.
Prof. Ajumbe stressed that President Tinubu might not be fully aware of the exclusion of the former ANPP faction within the current APC-led government, attributing it to the president’s busy schedule. Consequently, they intend to formally bring these concerns to his attention.
To avert any defection, the association has demanded that President Tinubu consider appointing former ANPP members to key positions such as board chairmanships, ambassadorships, ministerial roles, and leadership of government agencies and departments.
Furthermore, the group has called for the vice-presidential candidacy in the 2027 elections. Prof. Ajumbe emphasized that the CPC segment has dominated the presidency for eight years under the late President Buhari, while the ACN faction currently occupies the presidency through Tinubu. He argued that fairness and equity require the presidency to be transferred to the ANPP wing upon the conclusion of Tinubu’s tenure in 2031.
