Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, a foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former presidential adviser during Muhammadu Buhari's administration, has raised concerns over the conduct of some political leaders within the party in Cross River State. He warned that the hijacking of the APC by certain individuals could lead to an implosion within the party. Obono-Obla, a lawyer, emphasized the need for transparent and inclusive party primaries to safeguard internal democracy. He did not name specific individuals but pointed to leadership actions that undermine party unity. His comments reflect growing unease among some APC members over the fairness of internal party processes in the state.
Okoi Obono-Obla's warning carries weight not because of his past role as a presidential aide, but because he is one of the APC's original architects in Cross River—now speaking out against the very forces shaping its current direction. His claim that the party is being hijacked suggests a fracture between the APC's founding principles and the realities of political control in the state.
Cross River's political terrain has long been shaped by elite competition masked as party loyalty. Obono-Obla's unease about opaque primaries reflects a broader pattern where party structures are leveraged to sideline dissent and entrench favoured candidates. When a founding member feels compelled to speak, it signals that internal party democracy is no longer a given.
Ordinary APC members and voters in Cross River are the real stakeholders at risk. If primaries are seen as predetermined, public trust in the electoral process erodes, potentially reducing the general election to a mere formality. This disillusionment hits grassroots supporters hardest, especially youth and first-time voters hoping for change.
This is not unique to Cross River—the struggle between party founders and emerging power brokers mirrors tensions in other APC strongholds, where loyalty is increasingly tied to access rather than ideology.
