The Association of former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) members in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has demanded that the ruling party’s presidential ticket be ceded to the ANPP bloc in 2031, declaring that equity and fairness require the former legacy party to produce President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s successor.
The group, which met in Abuja on Monday, September 7, 2026, also threw its weight behind President Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, particularly applauding the retention of Vice-President Kashim Shettima, a former ANPP member, as Tinubu’s running mate.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by its National Coordinator, Prof. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, the former ANPP members said the bloc had made significant contributions to the formation of the APC and could no longer be ignored in the distribution of political opportunities within the party.
The group argued that since the formation of the APC, the party’s leadership arrangement had not adequately reflected the contributions of the various legacy parties, insisting that the time had come for the ANPP bloc to receive what it described as its ‘rightful share’ of power.
According to the communique, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc had already produced former President Muhammadu Buhari, who governed the country for eight years, while the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) bloc currently occupies the Presidency through President Bola Tinubu.
“Fairness and equity demand that our President should hand over power to the ANPP bloc when his tenure expires in 2031,” the group declared.
The demand effectively places the ANPP bloc’s 2031 succession ambition on the political agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections, even as the group pledged its ‘maximum support’ for President Tinubu and the APC in the forthcoming election.
The former ANPP members said their position was based on the historical role played by the legacy parties that surrendered their individual identities and certificates of registration to establish the APC.
The group recalled that at its November 3, 2025 meeting, it had presented a number of demands to President Tinubu, including greater inclusion of former ANPP members in appointments to strategic government positions.
Among its demands were the appointment of members of the bloc as ministers, ambassadors, board chairmen and heads of government agencies and departments.
It also demanded that the Vice-Presidential position remain ‘sacrosanct’ for the former ANPP bloc, which it described as the second-largest contributor to the formation of the APC.
The group said it was now encouraged by what it described as positive responses from President Tinubu, whom it praised as a “listening father of the nation.”
It specifically cited the President’s decision to retain Vice-President Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election as a major fulfilment of its demands.
The former ANPP members also commended the appointment of Senator Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, another prominent figure associated with the bloc, as Director-General of Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.
They further hailed the appointment of Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, as Deputy Director 1, North, describing the appointments as evidence that the President was responding to the concerns of former ANPP members within the APC.
They said, “To these, we say thank you very much our respected President.”
However, the bloc insisted that its appreciation for the President’s actions has not diminished its demand for further political inclusion.
It said it was still awaiting the appointment of more of its members into ‘key positions’ in government, while also urging President Tinubu to support a presidential candidate from the former ANPP bloc, preferably from the northern part of the country, to succeed him in 2031.
Despite its 2031 demand, the group stressed its commitment to the immediate political objective of securing victory for President Tinubu and the APC in 2027.
It said its members nationwide had been encouraged to remain patient with the administration and the APC following its November 2025 meeting, adding that the approach had now yielded what it regarded as positive results.
The forum also ratified its leadership structure, retaining Prof. Ajumbe as National Coordinator and appointing Dr Umar Duhu as Deputy National Coordinator.
The forum also endorsed incumbent Deputy Governor of Yobe State, Idi Barde Gubana, as it’s National Leader.
The group’s renewed demand for the presidency in 2031 is likely to fuel discussions over zoning, power rotation and the balance of interests among the legacy political blocs that make up the APC, even as the party prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.
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