The Association of Former ANPP Members has issued a warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), threatening to quit the party ahead of the 2027 general elections if the bloc continues to be marginalized, excluded, and politically shortchanged.
This position was made public at a press briefing in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the group, Prof. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, following a leadership meeting of the bloc held at Agura Hotel on Monday, July 28, 2025.
Prof. Ajumbe, speaking on behalf of millions of former ANPP members, expressed dismay at what he described as a calculated pattern of exclusion the bloc has faced since the formation of the APC, which has continued under the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We have been patient for too long. When we merged with ACN and CPC to form APC, it was with the hope of building a truly inclusive party. But what we see now is political apartheid against the ANPP bloc” he said.
He recounted that when the merger was consummated, legacy parties were fairly represented in the distribution of interim positions. ACN, with six governors, took the interim National Chairmanship. ANPP, with three governors, was given the Secretary position, and CPC, which had one governor, took the National Treasurer post. Other groups like APGA and DPP also got slots.
“We had men, we had structures, we had states. Our leaders like Senator Shettima, Gov. Zulum, Gov. Mai Mala Buni, and several former governors and lawmakers gave their all. Yet, we are treated today like political orphans” he explained.
He criticized the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of political ingratitude and abandonment of the ANPP, the platform that launched his presidential career. He said Buhari treated former ANPP members like pariahs despite their loyalty.
“It’s ironic and deeply painful that Buhari, who got his presidential tickets twice on the ANPP platform, turned around to abandon us. He treated us worse than strangers” Ajumbe explained.
He stated that the group had high expectations that Tinubu, a known grassroots politician, would correct the injustice. However, they lamented that the exclusion under his Renewed Hope administration has been worse than what they endured under Buhari.
“We thought he would be a unifier, but the exclusion has gotten even worse under his so-called Renewed Hope agenda” he said.
Among their key demands, the group is insisting that the Vice Presidential slot in 2027 must be reserved for the ANPP bloc, saying it is their rightful due as a core legacy party and the second-largest contributor to the APC formation.
“We gave our full support in 2023. We deserve more than crumbs. The Vice Presidency must return to the ANPP bloc, or we will reconsider our political future” he stated.
Prof. Ajumbe also demanded key federal appointments—ministerial, ambassadorial, and board positions—for loyal ANPP bloc leaders, warning that the party’s continuous neglect of their bloc could force them to seek alternative political alliances.
