All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) – Achievements, Formation, Aims and Objectives
The ANPP began as All Peoples Party (APP) in 1998 but, it has since May 2002 changed its name to All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).
Its pioneer National Chairman was Alhaji Mahmud Waziri. Those who have served in the position after him include Alhaji Aliyu Akwei Doma, Chief Alani Bankole, Alhaji Yussuf Ali, Governor Attahiru Bafarawa (interim Chairman), Chief Don Etiebet, Governor Bunu Sheriff Musa (interim Chairman), Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, and Dr. Ogbonaya Onu.
Objectives of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)
The major aims and objectives of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are:
- To promote national unity;
- To build a dynamic economy;
- To encourage educational development of all parts of the country;
- To promote religious harmony in Nigeria.
Achievements of the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP)
In the 1999 elections, the party went into an alliance with the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and conceded the presidential ticket of the party to the AD even though, it was the senior partner in the alliance.
By conceding the presidential slot to the AD, the ANPP demonstrated a lot of pragmatism and commitment to national unity. The ANPP and its ally, the AD, lost the 1999 presidential elections.
In the gubernatorial elections, the party won 9 of the 36 governorship seats. Overall, it came second in the 1999 elections.
Its performance in the 2003 elections was generally poor. The presidential candidate of the party, General Muhamed Buhari (rtd), lost to President Olusegun Obasanjo. Similarly, the governorship seats won by the party were reduced to seven.
In the April 2007 elections, the party’s presidential candidate, General Buhari came second out of 25 contestants in a presidential election won by Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the PDP. Its performance in the gubernatorial election was even poorer as it won in only five states, namely, Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Zamfara and Yobe.
The party’s candidate in the April 2011 presidential election and former Governor of Kano State Mr. Ibrahim Shekarau came fourth in the election won by the People’s Democratic Party. The number of governorship seats won by the party further diminished to three i.e. Yobe, Bomo and Zamfara. Its overall performance in the other election was similarly very poor. For example, the Action Congress of Nigeria has displaced it as the second largest party in the country.
Failure and Problems of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)
Perhaps the greatest problem of the ANPP is internal political crisis. The party has witnessed a series of crises right from the beginning. The party has had to contend with several leadership tussles, which undoubtedly, have consciously Or otherwise affected its electoral chances. As a result, there have been not less than eight leadership changes in the party in eight years.
The ANPP has also had to contend with the problem of defection of senior party members to other parties. In July 2006, the Governor of Jigawa State (Ibrahim Saminu Turaki) and members of the State House of Assembly defected en-masse to the rival PDP.
A former Chairman, Don Etiebet also joined People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2006 and before then, the first chairman of the party, Mahmud Waziri took up appointment as Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
A late chairman of the party did not see eye to eye with the party’s candidate in the 2007 presidential election. The party even unashamedly joined the Government of National Unity formed by the victorious PDP after the 2007 elections.
But the greatest failure of the party has been its inability to erase the perception that it is a pro-Sharia and pro-North party. Indeed, the governors of the party led the way in the introduction of Sharia in parts of Northern Nigeria in the early days of civilian rule in the country.
Moreover, the party has only won governorship elections in the core northern states in all the elections held in Nigeria since 1999. The ANPP is thus a party which though claims to be a national party is only able to win elections in the core north.
