By Erewunmi Peace

Former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Sirika, has said that many current leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were not part of the party during its formative years, insisting that he and other early members are the true architects of the ruling political project.

Sirika, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, made the remark in an interview on Channels Television. He stressed that he was actively involved in the APC’s early struggles, dating back to the early 2000s, long before the party formally emerged in 2013.

“We are the owners of the project. Many people who now call the shots were nowhere to be found when we were laying the foundation. I personally attended every single meeting in those days,” Sirika said.

According to him, former President Buhari once sent him to Lagos to meet with then-Governor Bola Tinubu to explore the possibility of an alliance, underscoring his central role in the groundwork that eventually led to the APC’s formation.

Sirika’s remarks come amid internal conversations within the ruling party about loyalty, legacy, and the direction of the APC under the current administration.

However, his comments have also attracted public reactions online, with some Nigerians calling for accountability over allegations of corruption linked to his tenure as aviation minister.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed in 2013 through a merger of major opposition parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The coalition successfully unseated the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, bringing Buhari to power.