13 Years After, APC Has Failed Nigeria – Atiku

By Ayodele Oni 

Despite high hopes of Nigerians at the formative stage of the ruling, All Progressives Congress, (APC), it has failed to address major challenges confronting the country.

The APC was officially formed on 6th February 2013. It was created through a merger of Nigeria’s three major opposition parties at the time—the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)—along with a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). 

The coalition succeeded in wresting power from Goodluck Jonathan with the late Ex President Mohammad Buhari taking over.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar  recalled the circumstances surrounding the formation of the APC, saying he was strongly pressured by political leaders to join the party at the time.

‎He stated that many top political figures visited him and insisted that joining the APC was necessary for the country’s political direction

According to Nigerian Tribune report, he was convinced that the merger would bring positive change to Nigeria.

‎However, he said the outcome after joining the party did not meet expectations and stated that several key sectors of the country have since faced serious decline.

‎Atiku pointed to worsening conditions in the economy, security system, education sector, infrastructure, and healthcare services, saying these challenges have created deep concerns for many Nigerians.

‎He stressed that the current situation in the country requires urgent correction, and that leaders must take responsibility to ensure meaningful reform and restore public confidence.

‎The former Vice President added that people with experience in governance must now rise to push for real and lasting change, as Nigeria needs a serious effort to fix its major problems and improve the lives of citizens.

‎Atiku maintained that the goal is not political gain alone, but a national effort to address long-standing issues affecting development and stability in the country.

‎“I remember when the APC was being formed, the entire political leadership in this country came to my house. They said, If you don’t come into the APC, this is not going to be possible. 

“So when APC was formed they literally compelled me to join the APC. Only for us to enter the APC, our economy is gone, our security is gone, our education is gone, our infrastructure is gone. The healthcare is gone,” he said.