2027: Former ANPP Members Back Tinubu’s Re-election Bid
..Commend President’s Inclusive Governance
By Everest Ezihe, Abuja
Former members of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) bloc in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have declared their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in the 2027 presidential election.
The group, under the aegis of the Association of Former ANPP Members in APC, also commended President Tinubu for what it described as his listening disposition and inclusive approach to governance.
National Coordinator of the association, Prof. Vitalis Orikeze-Ajumbe, disclosed this in a communique issued shortly after the group’s crucial meeting held on Monday at a hotel in Abuja and made available to newsmen, including Newstap.com.ng.
According to Orikeze-Ajumbe, the meeting reviewed the outcome of their previous meeting of November 3, 2025, during which the former ANPP members presented a number of requests to President Tinubu, whom they described as the leader of the APC.
He explained that the former ANPP was one of the legacy political parties that relinquished its registration certificate and merged with other political parties to form the APC.
He said, “Few hours ago, we, members of the former All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP bloc in the All Progressives Congress, APC, deliberated on issues of common interest and reviewed the outcome of our last meeting of November 3, 2025.
“At that meeting, we made some requests from our President and leader of our great party, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to favour members of the former ANPP in APC, which was one of the legacy political parties that relinquished its certificate of registration to form the APC.
“Today, we make bold to say that there are positive developments and that our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is a listening father of the nation.”
Orikeze-Ajumbe who also is a former Commissioner in Imo State recalled that the association had, among other things, requested greater inclusion of its members in the Tinubu administration through appointments as board chairmen, ambassadors, ministers and heads of government agencies and departments.
He said the request was based on the principle that all the legacy political parties that contributed to the formation of the APC should be fairly represented in the administration.
The National Coordinator also commended President Tinubu for retaining Senator Kashim Shettima, whom he described as a prominent leader of the former ANPP bloc, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
He further cited the appointment of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, CON, as Director-General of the 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, as well as the appointment of Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, CON, as Deputy Director 1, North, among other appointments.
“These are developments we appreciate, and to these, we say thank you very much to our respected President,” he stated.
Orikeze-Ajumbe noted that the former ANPP bloc had remained patient and encouraged its members across the country to continue supporting the APC-led Federal Government under President Tinubu.
He argued that the ANPP bloc, which he described as the second-largest contributor to the formation of the APC, deserved greater consideration in the distribution of political offices.
According to him, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc had governed the country for eight years under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, while the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) bloc currently occupies the presidency.
He therefore maintained that the principle of fairness and equity should guide the sharing of political opportunities among the legacy blocs.
“Fairness and equity demand that our President should hand over power to the ANPP bloc when his tenure expires in 2031,” he said.
The association, he added, was also looking beyond 2027, expressing its desire for President Tinubu to support a presidential candidate from the former ANPP bloc to succeed him in 2031.
He assured the President and the APC of the group’s maximum support for the 2027 presidential election, saying members of the former ANPP bloc would continue to mobilize support for the party nationwide.
Orikeze-Ajumbe expressed optimism that more members of the former ANPP bloc would be appointed into key positions in government, stressing that such inclusion would further strengthen unity, fairness and cohesion within the APC.
