The ANPP was a household party in the extreme north of Nigeria, primarily due to its mass appeal among more religious voters.
It was the strongest opposition party, controlling seven of the nation's thirty-six states at one point.
[2] Buhari subsequently denounced the idea in a BBC interview and suggested that the decision was only made by part of the party, alleging that they were "just looking for jobs for themselves".
[5] There was a party of the same name during the Second Republic, which was banned following the military coup of 1983 led by General Buhari.
The current party (founded in 1999) shares the same name, but with little or no resemblance, affinity, or affiliation to the original ANPP.