Why sidelining pioneers like Obono-Obla, Hilliard Eta, and John Odey threatens the party’s future

APC’s Betrayal of Its Founders

By Okoi Obono-Obla 

Why sidelining pioneers like Obono-Obla, Hilliard Eta, and John Odey threatens the party’s future

By sidelining its foundation members, the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks eroding the very legitimacy that brought it to power. Cletus Obun’s recent critique in Arise Television on 2 July 2026 is not just a personal lament—it is a warning about the fragility of political loyalty in Nigeria’s ruling party.

The Forgotten Architects
When APC was formed in 2013, it was not a spontaneous miracle. It was the product of painstaking negotiations among leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of APGA. These men and women—grassroots mobilizers, state chairmen, and opposition veterans—risked political obscurity to build a coalition strong enough to unseat the PDP in 2015.

Yet, as Obun points out, many of these founding members have been relegated to the margins. In Cross River State, figures like Obono-Obla, Hilliard Eta, and John Odey—stalwarts who carried the APC banner when it was politically risky—now find themselves sidelined and, in Obun’s words, “badly treated.” Their names rarely appear in the corridors of power, replaced by defectors who joined APC only after its victory was assured.

The Politics of Convenience
This is not unusual in Nigerian politics. Parties often prioritize new entrants who bring fresh influence, money, or electoral clout. But the APC’s case is particularly stark: those who bore the burden of opposition politics now watch as latecomers reap the rewards of ministerial appointments and committee leadership.

Obun’s frustration reflects a deeper truth: loyalty has become expendable in the APC’s calculus. The party’s leadership seems more concerned with short-term survival than honoring the sacrifices of its pioneers.

Why It Matters
Ignoring foundation members is not just morally questionable—it is politically reckless.
– Grassroots erosion: Founders like Obono-Obla and Hilliard Eta built the structures that mobilized voters. Alienating them risks weakening APC’s base.
– Factionalism: Persistent sidelining fuels internal divisions, threatening party cohesion.
– Historical precedent: Nigerian parties have fractured before when founding members felt betrayed. APC could be next.

A Party at a Crossroads
The APC must decide whether it wants to be a party of principle or a party of expediency. If it continues to treat its pioneers as expendable, it risks becoming a hollow coalition held together only by power, not purpose.

Cletus Obun’s words should not be dismissed as sour grapes. They are a reminder that political memory matters. A party that forgets its roots may one day find itself rootless.