…As CPC, ANPP blocs seek special recognition
A major crisis may be brewing in Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2027 general election over alleged marginalisation claims by the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) blocs against the current administration headed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The ANPP and CPC blocs in the ruling party are dissatisfied with the state of affairs, complaining of not being carried along in the running of the party and not being rewarded duly despite working for the APC’s victories in the 2023 general election.
Additionally, many members of the blocs in the ruling party are demanding inclusivity and fairness from the Tinubu-led administration.
It comes as the ruling party intensifies strategies to demystify opposition attempts at uniting to present a formidable front to challenge incumbent President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The ruling party has been growing in strength in recent months with the defection of key opposition politicians across the country to its ranks; in what observers say is a deliberate attempt to weaken the opposition political parties.
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But the ruling party and the presidency has consistently denied such claims.
The APC last Thursday moved to consolidate ahead of 2027 by appointing Nentawe Yilwatda, from North Central as its new national chairman, after the stepping down of former chairman Abdullahi Ganduje last month citing health concerns.
Speaking at a media briefing under the aegis of the Association of Former ANPP Members, the politicians noted that their support for the formation and electoral victories of the APC has gone largely unrewarded and they could no longer sit and watch.
They also insisted that the vice-presidential slot in the 2027 elections must remain within its fold, asking President Tinubu not to field any candidate outside the bloc.
The ANPP bloc, which claims to be the second most influential pillar in the 2013 merger that birthed the APC, issued a strong warning that failure to recognise the bloc’s contributions, especially in the composition of the 2027 ticket, could compel it to reconsider its continued stay in the APC.
They also said that appointments so far made under the Tinubu administration, from ministerial to managerial, executive directorship, and other roles, did not favour the ANPP bloc in the APC, and that they have been conspicuously sidelined.
The ANPP bloc in the APC parades seasoned and tested politicians like the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima; serving governors like Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State; former governors like Attahiru Bafarawa, Senator Yarima Bakura, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Senator Adamu Aliero, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Isa Yuguda, Senator Abdulazeez Yari, and Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi; as well as serving and former members of the National Assembly like Ali Ndume, Kawu Sumaila, Barau Jibrin, Mohammed Monguno, Aliyu Lawal, and many members of the House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly.
Battle for VP slot
Political watchers say the discontent within the ruling party could be traced to ongoing permutations and scheming for the vice presidential ticket of the party in 2027 general election.
This comes amid growing concerns over the vice president’s political future, with many believing that President Tinubu would not retain Shettima on the 2027 ticket.
The unease heightened following Shettima’s exclusion from a wave of endorsements given to Tinubu for re-election, culminating in a tense standoff during the APC North East stakeholders’ summit held in Gombe in June.
Although party leaders from the region eventually endorsed the Tinubu-Shettima joint ticket, the endorsement came only after a rowdy session triggered by the refusal of the APC national vice chairman (North East), Salihu Mustapha, to mention Shettima alongside the president.
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Prior to the Gombe summit, questions had already been mounting after several chieftains at last month’s APC national summit at the Presidential Villa openly backed Tinubu’s re-election bid without extending the same to his deputy.
The development fueled speculations that President Tinubu may be considering alternatives to Shettima as a running mate.
Amid these speculations, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso met with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja recently.
Political analysts believe that Kwankwaso’s joining APC would boost Tinubu’s chances of retaining his seat in 2027 especially with his popularity waning in Northern Nigeria.
Speculations are also rife that the former Kano State governor may join the opposition coalition adopted by the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Equally, some days ago, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in Kano State, confirmed to the media that the president was concerned about Kwankwaso’s refusal and indecisiveness in joining the APC.
Jibrin further stated that only Kwankwaso would decide if he would defect to the APC from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Also, political observers cited several theories: that the vice-presidential slot could be taken away from the ANPP bloc and given to a northern Christian to appease voters aggrieved by the Muslim-Muslim ticket; that it could serve as a bargaining chip to bring the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate Kwankwaso into the APC fold; or that the slot might go to one of two serving governors from the North West.
Another theory held that while the ticket might remain in the North East, a new candidate from the region could be picked.
This, perhaps, could have fueled the agitations by the ANPP and CPC bloc that whatever, the game may be, they would not lose out in the power struggle.
“I am not surprised by what is happening now; when Buhari was in power the ACN or Tinubu bloc that made up the APC complained the same.
“In fact, I remember many party chieftains in the Southwest here saying Tinubu was regretting supporting Buhari in 2015 because he was shut out of Buhari’s government,” Daniel Itodo, political analyst, said.
According to him, the reverse may be the case now, that is why you see many Buhari and CPC politicians like Malami and co, leaving for the ADC, and more of them will leave.
The analyst said that the President must be careful in handling the issues, the politicians demands, because no matter what, he would need them, especially with the opposition he has now in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 polls.
Wrangling long coming
The wrangling by the CPC and ANPP blocs in the ruling party did not start today; rather it began months back when political appointees and close associates of the late president Muhamamdu Buhari expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the economy.
They had alleged sectionalisation of appointments by President Tinubu as well as the marginalisation of the North by the present government.
Before the selection of Nentawe Yilwatda as the new chairman of the APC, stakeholders from the defunct CPC bloc had pushed for Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to step into that position.
Labib Abdullahi Mahmood, a stakeholder from Bauchi State, had said that Al-Makura was best suited to lead the party, particularly with the chairmanship still zoned to the North Central.
“We were part of the merger that formed the APC. Al-Makura was our only CPC governor and played a key role in the alliance that unseated the PDP,” he said.
Many political watchers had thought the then Ganduje-led national working committee (NWC) of the party would take concrete steps to resolve the issue, but he did not, leading to the defection of several prominent CPC and ANPP-linked figures from the APC.
Some of these leaders such as Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna state governor; former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal left the ruling party in anger after being consistently ignored by the APC leadership.
Their departure followed a meeting with former President Muhammadu Buhari before his illness and subsequent death.
But several CPC and ANPP members who stayed back in the APC have consistently voiced their concern about their continued exclusion.
Many of them have openly said that the what is happening appears to be well-planned attempts to exclude them from the running of the party.
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Buhari’s death reignites speculations about political future of loyalists
Political analysts believe the demise of former President Buhari further fueled the wrangling within the APC, which has made several of his associates to begin to consider their political future ahead of the 2027 general election.
Although several close associates of the former president have joined the Atiku Abubakar-led coalition, the ADC, those left are just biding their time before they finally defect to the ADC.
Many analysts said this push by the CPC bloc reflected growing discontent among its members; many of whom believe they have been sidelined in the party’s power structure under the Tinubu administration.
It is not the first time the bloc would be expressing discontent over the perceived style of governance by the incumbent administration.
Many chieftains of the ruling party have however, dismissed the demands by the CPC and ANPP blocs, but political analysts say the agitations of the leaders should not be overlooked as they reflect the growing discontent among its members and could have far-reaching implications for Tinubu’s re-election bid, especially if they defect to the ADC.
Sources within the ruling party said that the president was not bothered about the threats of the ANPP or defunct CPC blocs and would continue to initiate policies and programmes to better the lots of Nigerians.
The sources said that the ANPP bloc which spoke last week, may be threatening the APC because some of them had resolved to join the Atiku’s coalition and the ADC.
The sources also said that the president was ready to listen to aggrieved members of the party, noting that taking issue to the media was not the best to resolve it.
“We don’t believe taking issues to the media is the best way at resolving whatever grievance they may have. The President has done his best in running an inclusive administration and carrying everyone along in the party since he assumed office.
“We know the efforts of the former national chairman in that regard too. We know those behind the agitations, it would be looked into,” a source said.
Some of the agitators no longer in APC – Sources
Meanwhile, sources within the ruling told BusinessDay that some of the CPC/ ANPP politicians complaining of marginalisation are no longer in the party or did not work for the APC’s victories in the 2023 elections.
A source who did not want his name in print said the politicians agitating for inclusivity in the party are just looking for excuses to complain. The source noted that many of them were never with the APC in the 2023 elections.
“The truth is, they didn’t work for the party, and some of them have already left. Among them, some are even thinking of going to ADC or floating elsewhere it’s like they’re just swimming around without direction.
“Take someone like Chief John Oyegun-Odigie, I think he’s already joined ADC. These are people who are just looking for what to say or where to run to. There’s nothing you can do to keep them. They left even before the president was elected, and they never believed we would win.
“From the primary election down to the general election, they were never truly present. So, how do you expect them to be comfortable at the party now?
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“The man they were all holding up to Buhari is no longer around, and now they’re looking for where to run to for survival. It’s like political refugees, just trying to stay relevant.
Speaking further, the source said, “There’s no reason to reward someone just because they claim to be part of the party if you didn’t work for the victory, they don’t deserve the benefits.”
Similarly, Kunle Okunade, political analyst, said the pulling out of the ANPP/CPC bloc in the present APC may not cause a major disruption of the party’s chances in the 2027 general election.
“What is the significance of ANPP in the equation of 2027? Do they still exist in the APC? The fact is, the APC will still remain formidable even if ANPP members decide to dump the party because they are not in the circle of the APC,” Okunade said.
