How the APC was formed: Buhari reminisces on ousting of PDP
President Muhammadu Buhari has reminisced on the process that led to the formation of the mega party All Progressives Congress (APC), which propelled him into power four years ago.
Buhari shared the reminiscences in a foreword to a new book, “Power of Possibility and Politics of Change in Nigeria” written by the Director-General of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Comrade Salihu Mohammed Lukman.
Four parties – Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – dissolved into what became APC ahead of the 2015 elections.
Buhari said all the four parties came to the “painful realisation” that none of them could defeat PDP as separate entities hence the need for them to merge.
The significance of the merger, according to him, was underscored by the fact that the future of Nigeria was tied to it.
The President said he spoke with the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande at the commencement of the merger negotiations about the need to have a broad-based national political party
He said as at the time the merger talks got underway, only the Southwest was a secured constituency.
The book, which is yet to be launched, has been made available to all APC leaders at all levels, governors and other stakeholders.
Going into the details of the emergence of the APC, the president said: “At one point, we in the four former opposition parties, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), came to the painful realisation that there was no way we could defeat the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as separate entities without coming together as a united force.
“So, having agreed to come together, we decided to set up committees to look into how we can best merge to form a formidable opposition party. After that each of the four parties developed the terms of reference for the committees on the modalities of the negotiations for the merger.
“We, however, made it clear that none of the committees has the power to take any final decision on the merger. Their work was mainly to discuss with their party members and report the outcome of the discussion to the leadership of their parties.
“The understanding was that the final decision regarding how to go about the merger would be made by the executives of each of the parties. We wanted to make the process as democratic as possible.”
The President said the merger was significant in the nation’s history and ought to be a major research question.
He disclosed the merger template he discussed with the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Interim (pioneer) National Chairman of the new party, Chief Bisi Akande.
He said if the merger had failed, Nigeria would have been worse for it.
“The decision to come together and agree to merge to become a strong opposition party that will face PDP was historic. In my reckoning, it was one of the most significant political development in contemporary Nigerian political history. I hope historians will record the events correctly,” he stressed.
“I would recall speaking to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande at the commencement of the merger negotiations about the need to have a broad-based national political party, because at that point the South-West geopolitical zone of the country was the only secured constituency, while there were sharp divisions in the other geopolitical zones (North West, North East, North Central, the South East and the South South).
“We eventually succeeded in coming together. It was a major sacrifice made by the leadership of the respective political parties. And the significance of this event was underscored by the fact that the future of Nigeria was tied to it. Which is why for historians and political scientists, it becomes a major research question.
“I always wonder what would have been the political, economic and security consequences to the country without the merger of the old opposition parties and seizing political power from the ruling PDP democratically.
“I wonder how many people have taken the time to reflect on this development and make projections as to what could have happened if the opposition had failed to come together to take away power from PDP.”
“Fortunately, we have been able to reverse this downward slide in such a short period of time, even under more challenging circumstances from 20I5 to date”, he wrote.
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