Tinubu recalls clash with Buhari over APC logo, backs broom symbol
By Kunle Sanni –
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday reflected on the early days of the All Progressives Congress (APC), revealing that he had disagreements with then-General Muhammadu Buhari over the party’s logo.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by members of The Buhari Organisation led by former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu recalled the merger negotiations that produced the APC in 2013.
“We disagreed to agree… We even argued on the symbol. He (Buhari) insisted on parliament and I insisted on broom. He’s so stubborn,” Tinubu said with a laugh.
Tuesday’s meeting, which also had Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda and former Governor Aminu Masari in attendance, was seen as part of efforts to consolidate party ranks ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC was officially formed in February 2013 through a 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).
Tinubu, then ACN National Leader, and Buhari, head of the CPC, often clashed over strategy and party identity before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) approved the party’s registration.
The broom — eventually adopted as the APC’s logo — was chosen to signify collective action against corruption and misgovernance. The merger paved the way for the APC’s victory over the long-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, bringing Buhari to power.
