President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday offered a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes debates that shaped the All Progressives Congress (APC), disclosing that he once clashed with former President Muhammadu Buhari over the party’s logo.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while receiving members of The Buhari Organisation led by ex-Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, Tinubu recalled heated arguments during the 2013 merger talks that produced the APC.
“We disagreed to agree… We even argued about a symbol. He (Buhari) insisted on parliament, and I insisted on broom. He’s so stubborn,” Tinubu said, drawing laughter from guests.
The meeting, which brought together key northern political heavyweights including Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda and former Governor Aminu Masari, is seen as part of ongoing efforts to consolidate APC ranks ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC was formed in February 2013 through the merger of four opposition parties—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).
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Tinubu, then the ACN leader, pushed for the broom as a symbol of unity and collective action against corruption and bad governance, while Buhari’s CPC preferred a parliamentary image. The broom eventually prevailed, becoming one of Nigeria’s most recognisable political emblems.
The historic coalition powered the APC to victory in 2015, unseating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after 16 years in power and bringing Buhari to office.
Tinubu’s recollection underscores the often tough compromises that birthed the ruling party, which remains Nigeria’s dominant political force more than a decade later.