Former ANPP members have cautioned President Bola Tinubu that they may leave the APC unless the vice‑presidential slot remains with their group.
At an Abuja press conference on Monday, officials representing the ANPP‐former members, who call themselves the Association of Former ANPP Members, voiced concerns of marginalisation by the CPC and ACN factions within the APC.
Prof. Vitalis Ajumbe, the group’s National Coordinator, reading from a communiqué, asserted:
“The ticket you are serving will be disappointed if you choose another person outside the ANPP block in APC as your Vice President. The Vice Presidential seat remains sacrosanct for the ANPP bloc as the second largest contributor to the formation of APC.”
He added that under the previous administration, “The ANPP bloc in APC suffered serious political marginalisation under late General Muhammadu Buhari for the eight years of his reign.”
Ajumbe further added “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.”
Speaking on current trends, he contrasted Buhari’s tenure with Tinubu’s, saying:
“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.” He disclosed plans to consult with state and zonal members soon, warning:
“We may be tempted to seek greener political pastures elsewhere should the APC‑led government of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu reject us.”
Responding to the group’s threats, Deputy National Organising Secretary Nze Duru criticized their approach, cautioning that “democracy does not thrive on threats and intimidation.” He argued:
“I don’t think that party politics is a matter that is done on the basis of condition, which is you either give it to me or I walk away. It should also not be seen in the light of ‘my way or the highway.”
He reiterated that the vice‑presidential office was not automatically assigned and insisted:
“We must always remind ourselves that we are in a democracy. The office of the VP is not always on one ballot. It is the responsibility of the president to appoint or decide who he will like to be so vice president.”
