…says 2031 is their turn
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, support for President Bola Tinubu has continued to grow, as members of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), one of the Legacy Parties that merged to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), have pledged their loyalty to the incumbent President and leader of the party.
The group, operating under the platform of the Association of Former Members of the ANPP, made the declaration on Monday at their inaugural meeting held at Agura Hotel, Abuja.
Addressing the gathering, its National Coordinator, Professor Vitalis Orikeze, who recalled the tripod that coalesced to form the APC in 2013, emphasised the importance of equity, fairness, and justice within the APC.
He declared that the CPC power bloc in the ruling party had spent 8 years with the Muhammadu Buhari administration. While he expressed hope that Tinubu would win a fresh mandate in 2027 to match the 8 years of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, the forum declared that power must rotate to the defunct ANPP by 2031 within the APC.
He reminded the gathering of the historic merger between the ANPP, CPC, and ACN that led to the formation of the APC, submitting that ANPP must not be left stranded.
“Our deliberations today centre on critical questions. ‘Are we being marginalised within the APC government? Are ANPP members adequately considered for political appointments? And more importantly, will the ANPP bloc be supported to produce the next President of Nigeria when power is expected to return to the North in 2031?'”
Professor Ajumbe, who cautioned against imbalance, insisted on fairness and equity.
“When three people own a cow, and two have taken their shares, it is only just that the third person gets his share too.”
He, however, appealed to members of the forum to ensure Tinubu’s victory in 2027.
“We must collaborate closely with the APC leadership and President Tinubu to ensure a successful re-election campaign in 2027,” Ajumbe emphasised.
The Association later inaugurated a Contact Committee to mobilise and engage with former ANPP leaders nationwide. This committee is tasked with strategising and building broader support for the bloc’s goals within the APC framework.
and then