Former ANPP Members Issue Warning to Tinubu, Threaten to Storm Out of APC
- Former ANPP members threaten to leave the APC unless the vice-presidential slot stays within their bloc, citing long-standing marginalisation
- The group, led by Prof. Vitalis Ajumbe, accuses past and present APC leadership of sidelining their faction despite its significant contributions
- APC’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru, rejects the ultimatum, stressing the President alone decides the vice-presidential choice
Former members of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) have issued a stern warning to President Bola Tinubu, threatening to exit the All Progressives Congress (APC) if the vice-presidential seat does not remain within their faction.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Monday, the aggrieved bloc, under the banner of the Association of Former ANPP Members, voiced dissatisfaction with what they described as years of exclusion by other founding blocs of the APC.
Source: Facebook
They accused the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) factions of sidelining them, despite being key partners in the merger that birthed the APC in 2015, the Punch reported.
Give us VP slot or risk mass defection - ex-ANPP
Reading from a prepared communiqué, the National Coordinator of the group, Prof. Vitalis Ajumbe, insisted the vice-presidential slot must stay with the ANPP bloc, which he described as the second largest contributor to the APC’s formation.
“The ticket you are serving will be disappointed if you choose another person outside the ANPP block in APC as your Vice President,” Ajumbe declared.
“The Vice Presidential seat remains sacrosanct for the ANPP bloc.”
Buhari allegedly sidelined faction
Reflecting on the past, Ajumbe alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari neglected the bloc during his eight-year tenure, despite the ANPP’s significant role in shaping his political journey.
“Late Muhammadu Buhari’s abandonment of ANPP where his political career started and where he twice secured presidential tickets was quite inhumane. He treated us like a club of political pariahs,” he said.
He contrasted Buhari’s tenure with expectations from President Tinubu, expressing disappointment that Tinubu’s administration had so far failed to correct the imbalance.
Source: Twitter
“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected, we thought he would change the trend, but to our dismay, the situation is getting even worse under his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,” Ajumbe noted.
Bloc threatens defection
Despite the bloc’s influence, which includes Vice President Kashim Shettima and governors like Babagana Zulum and Mai Mala Buni, Ajumbe lamented the absence of ANPP figures in new appointments.
The group announced plans to launch state and zonal consultations to decide on future steps, hinting at possible defection.
“We may be tempted to seek greener political pastures elsewhere should the APC-led government of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu reject us,” he warned
Responding to the threat, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru, criticised the group’s approach, arguing that democracy should not be driven by ultimatums.
“Party politics is not a matter that is done on the basis of condition, which is you either give it to me or I walk away,” he said.
According to Duru, the existing partnership between Tinubu and Vice President Shettima remains strong and unshaken, leaving little room for renegotiation
Source: Legit.ng
