The journey of the modern All Progressives Congress, APC, can be traced back to the Alliance for Democracy, AD, led by the late Pa Abraham Adesanya of blessed memory. Pa Adesanya was a principled leader who drew deep inspiration and mentorship from the late and undisputed Yoruba leader, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo. That foundation was built on progressive ideals, discipline, sacrifice, and service to the people.
The Action Congress later emerged as an offshoot of the Alliance for Democracy, led by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This development followed fundamental political differences within the AD. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu held a broader national political vision rather than a strictly regional outlook. He believed that progress required a national platform and an independent structure built from the ground up. He was also concerned that decision making within the AD was often centralized around Ijebu Igbo, which in many cases caused delays and slowed the pace of growth and reform he envisioned.
Driven by strategy and foresight, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu pursued growth through alliances. The Action Congress merged with other political parties, including the Labour Party, APGA, and ANPP, among others. This process led to the formation of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and eventually culminated in the creation of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Since 2015, the APC has remained the ruling party in Nigeria, shaping the nation’s political direction.
From the days of the Alliance for Democracy to the present APC, there have been loyal disciples and committed members who were never driven by personal gain, but by collective success and shared ideals. It is therefore troubling that many who once stood against the principles that built this movement are now the ones enjoying the fruits of its labor. Even when the true loyalists choose silence over protest, there is a belief that the God of justice will ultimately defend their sacrifices.
The most worrisome issue today is governance at the grassroots level, which is the foundation of democracy and the closest tier of government to the people. Nominations have increasingly replaced genuine elections, and power has become overly centralized. This situation has produced local government chairmen who lack experience, competence, or integrity. Some are little more than opportunists who use public office to build personal wealth and social status, knowing they did not earn their positions through the votes of the people.
Equally damaging is the prolonged delay in appointing key principal officers, such as local government secretaries and other essential officials, after local government and LCDA elections. These delays weaken administration, disrupt service delivery, and undermine democratic governance at the level where it matters most to ordinary citizens.
Leaders should allow communities and people closest to the grassroots to make their own choices at that level of government. Excessive control from the top creates delays and gradually erodes democracy, making the system resemble a military structure that Nigerians collectively struggled to dismantle over two decades ago. Too often, people criticize these practices while in opposition, only to accept and defend the same actions once they gain power.
The APC must recommit itself to democracy from the lowest level to the highest. The party needs to strengthen its reward system for loyal members, effectively engage its diaspora wing, and remove the barriers created around leaders by selfish aides. Leaders need direct access to honest information about what is truly happening on the ground and what the people genuinely want, not what others think should be given to them.
Nigerians deserve far more than what they are currently experiencing. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu may genuinely mean well, but the question remains whether he is receiving the right advice, sufficient support, and sincere collaboration to lead Nigeria to the promised land. Greed and lack of empathy among some around him are not helping. Instead, they risk damaging his image by portraying his government as elitist, which in truth does not reflect who Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is.
He is widely known as a man with a large heart and deep empathy for the common man. Given the right space, sound advice, and committed support, he has the capacity to lead Nigeria to a level of development that will earn the admiration of the world.
May God bless Nigeria and all who live in it.
By Engr. Bola Babarinde, South Africa
