Amaechi Did Not Form The APC, He Is Just Exaggerating Because The Party Was Already Registered— Ardo

Dr. Umar Ardo, a former political stakeholder, has challenged claims by former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, regarding the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the party had already been established before Amaechi and other political actors joined the coalition.

Ardo made the remarks while speaking on a program aired on the official YouTube channel of Arise News on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, where he addressed differing narratives surrounding the creation of the ruling party ahead of the 2015 general elections.

During the interview, Ardo rejected suggestions that Amaechi played a foundational role in creating the APC, arguing that historical records and timelines contradict such claims.

According to him, “I think Amaechi is exaggerating because he did not form the APC, as the party was already registered in July 2013.”

Ardo explained that the major groundwork leading to the establishment of the APC had already been completed before the entry of the G-7 governors and members of the factional Peoples Democratic Party known as the New PDP.

He stated that the registration of the party with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already taken place through the efforts of earlier stakeholders and political blocs that came together to form the opposition coalition.

According to Ardo, while the defection of Amaechi and other influential politicians added momentum to the APC ahead of the 2015 elections, it would be inaccurate to describe them as the founders of the party.

“The structure and registration had already been concluded before the New PDP group joined the alliance,” he said.

He further argued that political history should be presented accurately so that Nigerians can properly understand how the coalition that eventually defeated the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015 was formed.

Ardo noted that separating personal political narratives from documented events is important in preserving the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic history.

He maintained that the APC emerged through the merger of several opposition parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), before the later involvement of the New PDP bloc.

According to him, the entry of the G-7 governors and their supporters helped strengthen the opposition movement but did not change the fact that the party already existed before they arrived.