Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) rode to power in 2015 on the back of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s towering political stature and the grassroots influence of the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
Mustapha made this revelation on Wednesday during the public unveiling of “According to The President: Lessons From A Presidential Spokesman Experience”, a book authored by Garba Shehu, former spokesperson to President Buhari.
The event brought together key political figures and observers reflecting on the legacy of the Buhari administration.
Dismissing popular narratives crediting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then-leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), with the strategic merger that birthed APC and ousted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mustapha firmly asserted that Buhari was the magnetic force that united the opposition and galvanized national support.
“The CPC had only one state then, but the important votes that gave us victory came from CPC. We knew what we did to produce Buhari’s presidency,” Mustapha said, emphasizing that Buhari’s cult-like following and the credibility he enjoyed across the North and beyond were decisive in breaking PDP’s 16-year grip on power.
The APC was formed in 2013 through a merger of several legacy parties, including the CPC, ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), along with notable defectors from the PDP.
However, Mustapha’s remarks challenge the often-highlighted role of political heavyweights from the South-West, particularly Tinubu, in orchestrating the 2015 electoral upset.
While acknowledging the collaborative nature of the merger, Mustapha reiterated that Buhari’s candidacy was the glue that held the coalition together and the spark that ignited mass voter turnout.
The former SGF’s comments are already stirring political conversations, as they revisit the roots of APC’s rise and the true drivers behind its historic win.
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