Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has revealed that the historic 2013 political merger that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) contributed approximately 3.2 million votes to the party’s eventual success in the 2015 presidential election.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja during the public presentation of According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience, a book authored by former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu, Mustapha highlighted how the merger helped build momentum for Muhammadu Buhari’s win over then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
Mustapha explained that the additional 3.2 million votes from the merger partners were added to Buhari’s pre-existing base of 12.2 million votes to secure the APC’s 15.4 million total in 2015.
The 2013 merger brought together Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Bola Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Atiku Abubakar’s faction of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), and parts of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“In early 2013, President Buhari, then leader of the CPC, endorsed the formation of a merger committee.
We at the ACN also had our own transition committee. Alongside contributions from the ANPP, the breakaway nPDP, and other figures like Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the coalition took shape,” Mustapha said.
He described the merger as a milestone that “paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent president in Nigeria’s history,” crediting Buhari’s national appeal and message-driven campaign for much of the success.
At the APC presidential primary in Lagos, Buhari emerged victorious over Atiku Abubakar, and former governors Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rochas Okorocha, and others. He later defeated President Jonathan in the general election.
Mustapha, who served as Deputy National Chairman of the ACN at the time, stressed that choosing Buhari as the APC’s 2015 candidate was a strategic decision based on voter trends.
“Buhari had consistently polled significant numbers—12.7 million in 2003, 6.6 million in 2007, and 12.2 million in 2011.
Even though CPC only governed one state at the time of the merger, while ACN had six and ANPP three, Buhari brought the largest voter base,” he explained.
He concluded that the merger’s role was to rally support behind Buhari and give the APC a strong start, adding, “I don’t say this to stir controversy, but to highlight that the merger was necessary to create a viable path to a Buhari presidency.”