The former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) bloc in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to exit the party unless President Bola Tinubu meets certain conditions ahead of the 2027 elections.
During a press conference held in Abuja on Monday, the ANPP bloc, operating under the Association of Former ANPP Members, accused the party of marginalization by both the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) bloc in the tripartite agreement that formed the national government in 2015.
The group's National Coordinator, Prof. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, who read the prepared text, emphasized that the vice presidential position must remain with the ANPP bloc in the 2027 elections.
"We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the Vice Presidential seat is made sacrosanct for the ANPP block in the governing APC for the 2027 Presidential election," Ajumbe stated. "Millions of former ANPP members across the country who voted massively for the current ticket you are serving will be disappointed if you choose another person outside the ANPP block in APC as your vice President."
The ANPP bloc justified their demand by highlighting their significant contribution to the formation of the APC, describing themselves as "the second largest contributor to the formation of APC." They pointed out that the CPC bloc had already ruled Nigeria for eight years under former President Muhammadu Buhari, while the ACN bloc is currently in power through President Tinubu.
Ajumbe recalled the history of the APC's formation, noting that the late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had initiated the move to bring ACN, CPC, and ANPP together to form a mega party that would not only defeat the People's Democratic Party (PDP) but also provide good governance to Nigerians.
"When APC was eventually formed, the interim leadership offices were equitably shared amongst the legacy parties of ACN, ANPP, and CPC, plus some factions of PDP, APGA, and DPP which joined the merger," he explained.
According to Ajumbe, in the unanimously adopted formula for sharing party positions, the interim National Chairman was allocated to ACN as it had six serving governors, while ANPP with three governors was allocated the position of interim National Secretary. The CPC, which had one governor, was allocated the position of National Treasurer.
"We hoped for better days ahead in APC, but the reverse is now the case," Ajumbe lamented, suggesting that the initial power-sharing arrangement has not been maintained.
The press conference comes at a time when political realignments are beginning to take shape ahead of the 2027 general elections, with various blocs within the ruling party seeking to position themselves strategically.
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