The old guard of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), one of the founding blocs of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has demanded that the ruling party cede its 2031 presidential ticket to the ANPP bloc as a condition for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Naijaonpoint reports that the demand was made on Monday in Abuja under the umbrella of the Association of Former ANPP Members, following a leadership meeting at the Agura Hotel, where the group also accused the APC of sidelining its members from key political appointments since the party’s formation in 2013.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the association’s National Chairman, Prof. Vitalis Ajumbe, urged President Tinubu to demonstrate fairness and inclusivity by backing the ANPP bloc to produce his successor at the end of his tenure.
Ajumbe said, “Since the formation of the APC, the CPC bloc has ruled for eight years under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, while the ACN bloc is currently in power.
“Fairness and equity demand that President Tinubu should hand over power to the ANPP bloc when his tenure expires in 2031.”
He added that the bloc had made significant sacrifices during the APC merger but had been consistently overlooked in federal appointments and leadership positions.
“Our members have been marginalised in this administration. We urge the President to appoint more of our people as ministers, ambassadors, board chairmen, and heads of parastatals,” Ajumbe appealed.
ANPP Bloc Insists On Vice Presidential Slot
The group maintained that the office of the Vice President should remain “sacrosanct” for the ANPP bloc, arguing that it was the second-largest contributor to the 2013 APC merger.
Despite their grievances, the former ANPP members pledged to work for Tinubu’s victory in 2027, promising to mobilise support nationwide and act as a “grassroots campaign structure” for the APC.
“We are committed to President Tinubu’s re-election and will begin immediate mobilisation across all local governments,” Ajumbe said.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the bloc resolved to revive its political structures across the 774 local government areas, hold regular strategy meetings, and organise a mega rally in Abuja to demonstrate solidarity with the President.
Notable attendees at the meeting included Senators Aliyu Sani and Dahiru El-Katazu, Chief Igaga Ogbonna, Dr. Ibrahim Modibbo, Prince Adebola Ogunleye, Princess N. Dickson, and Hon. Emma Ibediro, among others.
‘It’s Too Early For 2031 Talks’ – APC
Reacting to the demand, the APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbo, according to Punch, acknowledged the ANPP bloc’s contributions to the party but urged members to exercise patience.
Arodiogbo said, “There are five major blocs that formed the APC, and the ANPP was one of them.
“I understand their demand, but it is too early to begin such conversations. The focus now is on the 2027 elections, and that’s where our energy should be.”
Similarly, the APC Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru, described the call as “premature”, noting that internal discussions on power rotation would take place at the appropriate time.
He said, “Politics is about discussion, negotiation, and understanding. It’s too early to start thinking of post-2027 arrangements.
“What’s important now is to deliver good governance and strengthen the party.”
The ANPP was one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties during the Fourth Republic, producing notable figures such as the late Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau.
In February 2013, the ANPP merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) to form the APC, which later ended the PDP’s 16-year rule with the election of Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Since the merger, while the CPC bloc produced Buhari and the ACN bloc produced Tinubu, members of the ANPP have continued to complain of marginalisation in both elective and appointive positions.
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