A former aspirant for the position of Deputy National Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sunny Moniedafe, has expressed a vote of no confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He voiced significant concerns regarding the internal politics of the party, indicating that the ruling party might be on the verge of collapse.
Moniedafe commented on the recent requests made by former members of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), who urged President Tinubu to ensure that the vice-presidential position remains within their faction in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.
“I do not blame them,” he remarked. “They have a valid point. Everyone is keen to safeguard their interests.”
Moniedafe further revealed his evaluation of President Tinubu’s leadership.
“I believe we are heading towards disaster,” he stated. “And I regret to say this – President Tinubu is not performing adequately.”
He criticized the ongoing significance of the founding party blocs – ANPP, CPC, and ACN – within the internal framework of the APC.
“We should have moved beyond those divisions by now,” he expressed, lamenting the deep-seated divisions within the party.
“When the CPC established their own faction, I made calls urging the president to recognize the existence of the ACN.”
Moniedafe emphasized that party stakeholders ought to actively support the administration’s policies, yet many remain either silent or uninformed.
“They do not even know what to discuss,” he remarked, pointing out that the party lacks internal structure and accountability.
He suggested that the President should have organized a forum of elders to act as the party’s conscience.
“At present, individuals are fortunate to be in their positions,” he noted. “However, Tinubu did not reach out to us because he is aware that we would not endorse some of his decisions.”
He also raised concerns regarding the President’s early ambition for a second term.
“I have never heard, seen, or read about anyone seeking a second term from the very first day they were inaugurated,” he stated.
Moniedafe voiced his disbelief regarding policy decisions, including the elimination of fuel subsidies, and criticized the language employed by Tinubu during the selection of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
“Even if Tinubu possesses the authority to choose his vice, such statements should not be made in that manner,” he commented. “There exists a crisis within the party.”
He further condemned the responses to the political unrest in Rivers State.
“No elected president has the authority to dismiss an elected governor,” he asserted. “There is a significant issue at hand.
Dr. Moniedafe expressed that he was “exhausted from remaining silent” and suggested a potential departure from the party if circumstances do not improve.
“Do not be surprised to hear from me,” he cautioned.
While he conveyed his discontent with the recent appointment of the APC chairman, he ultimately wished him well.
It is important to note that Moniedafe, who took part in the APC’s national convention on March 26, 2022, had initiated legal action against the party, claiming that he had purchased the nomination form for the Deputy National Chairman (North) position for N10 million.
He alleged that during the convention, the party’s leadership, under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, encouraged aspirants to withdraw, as it had been agreed that the Deputy National Chairman position would be allocated to an individual from Borno State in the North-East geopolitical zone.
The late Buhari reportedly issued a directive for the reimbursement of the N10 million paid by aspirants for the nomination form.
However, he stated in the lawsuit that “Regrettably, the leadership of the defendant (APC) failed to uphold its promise and outrightly refused, neglected, and failed to refund the aforementioned N10 million from March 2022 until the filing of this case, despite my repeated requests.”
He mentioned that multiple letters were dispatched to prominent APC officials and leaders, including the late Buhari, the former Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, President Bola Tinubu, and the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
Other recipients comprised Vice President Kashim Shettima, the former APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and Femi Gbajabiamila, who served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives at that time.
The letters, which contained reminders regarding the refund, did not yield the expected results.
At the time of preparing this report, it remains uncertain whether Moniedafe has received the N10 million refund or not.
