Since Monday when the APC released its timetable for the conduct of primaries ahead of the 2027 elections, there have been some reactions-the good, the bad, the criticisms and all that. One of the concerns is about the high cost of the nomination and expression of interest forms respectively. There is also the concern that the party did not specify which account the aspirants should pay the money to, fueling speculations and suspicion about the likely ill intentions of the party, in cohort with their governors.
TNN engaged a former senatorial aspirant from Cross River State, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla to speak on this and other issues.
Excerpts:
The APC is the first to release their timetable for elections as well as the announcement of the cost of nominations forms. People believe that only the rich can afford the forms. What do you think?
So far, credit should go to the leadership of the APC for taking the initiative and being the first to roll out its timetable to conduct primaries for nominating candidates for the 2027 general elections. This is an excellent reflection of the fact that today, APC is the most organized and well‑managed party in the country. That is why there has been a rush of people from other political parties—which unfortunately are in shambles, fragmented, and chaotic—to defect and join the APC. Some detractors mistakenly interpret this rush as a grand plan to turn the country into a one‑party dictatorship.
Politics, as a social science, intersects with human biology, and the two work hand in hand. In biology, osmosis describes the movement of molecules from one area to another in search of what is necessary for survival. Similarly, human beings in politics behave “osmosically,” migrating from one ecosystem to another in search of better opportunities and survival. When other political parties are splintering and mired in deep‑seated crises, APC appears stable. Naturally, those with ambition will gravitate toward APC, which provides a safer and more conducive ecosystem for them to actualize their aspirations.
On the second leg of your question, I do not believe APC is only for the wealthy, even though its nomination forms are rather expensive. The party has also liberalized the sale of forms to women and physically challenged individuals. However, APC should have reduced the cost of the forms, given that the cost of living has spiked since the senseless war in the Middle East erupted in February 2026, triggering volatility in the international financial ecosystem. Since the forms remain expensive, APC is duty‑bound to ensure a truly level playing field for all aspirants. There must be no coronation or selection of candidates from the pockets of governors and party bureaucrats. The nomination process should be democratized and left to party members to decide who they trust to protect their interests, fears, aspirations, and expectations.
Strangely, there are no account details which aspirants can use to pay for the forms before going with the teller to the party to collect the forms. Is it also a strange occurrence to you?
Better management and public communication require that the APC should have included the account numbers of banks where interested aspirants could purchase their forms. We are in a democratic setup anchored on openness, accountability, and transparency.
Attempting to handle this in an opaque manner during an election season—when people, due to bitter past experiences, are suspicious of every move and motive—creates unnecessary tension. In these days of social media, where any gossip or rumor can be amplified beyond proportion, and with governors often perceived as imperial and one‑sided, such lack of transparency becomes fertile ground for destructive narratives.
Failure to include APC bank account details for purchasing forms risks becoming an “open sesame” for gossip and misinformation. This can lead disgruntled individuals to plot against the party. In the last congresses held between February and March 2026, forms were reportedly hoarded, and rumors spread that governors had instructed party secretariat officials not to sell forms to those who were not their lackeys, stooges, or cronies. Unfortunately, this perception seemed to materialize. That ugly, insidious, and dubious specter must not rear its head again; otherwise, a wrong signal will be sent.
APC should be exemplary, living up to its reputation and billing as the largest party in Africa and the governing party in Nigeria. To whom much is given, much is expected.
You shared a post recently about the expected duties of lawmakers and how the public now expects too much from them. What should the public not expect from their lawmakers?
Lawmakers are not part of the executive branch of government; they belong to the legislative branch, whose role and responsibility is to make laws for the peace, stability, and good governance of the country. Lawmakers also serve as an anti‑corruption agency through their oversight functions and jurisdiction, which include investigating and scrutinizing the executive branch, ministries, commissions, boards, and indeed MDAs. Their duty is to expose corruption, maladministration, theft, and misappropriation of funds. In the process, they can enact laws that block such loopholes in the system or bureaucracy run by the executive.
Lawmakers are not members of the executive branch, which is entrusted with policy conceptualization and execution. Instead, they are the ones who pass the budget or Appropriation Law, scrutinizing estimates prepared by the executive and its agencies to ensure that wastage is minimized. When we lack electricity, water supply, health centers, hospitals, good primary and secondary schools, or rural roads, we should not expect lawmakers to provide these amenities. That is not their job. These responsibilities fall to the states and local governments, whose allocations from the Federation Account have increased exponentially since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended the petroleum subsidy in 2023.
Unfortunately, many citizens do not bother to find out how much each local government in Cross River State has received from the Federation Account since 2023, or what they have done with these funds. For example, I read on social media that some people from Assiga in Yakurr Local Government Area are trying to heap all the blame for poor social amenities—such as bad roads, inadequate health centers, hospitals, and schools—on a member of the House of Representatives, as though he were the Yakurr Local Government Council. Yet that council has collected more than 15 billion naira from the Federation Account since 2023.
That said, I also fault our legislators for not being proactive in holding town hall meetings to educate the people, gather feedback, and explain their work in Abuja. Since 2023, my Senator has never invited us to meet with him to hear what he is doing in Abuja or what contributions he has made on the floor of the Senate. When constituents are kept in the dark, they rely on gossip and rumour to judge their representatives. Legislators should take time to hold town hall meetings to explain the purpose and essence of constituency projects, which many people do not understand but upon which they base their expectations.
APC should be exemplary, living up to its reputation and billing as the largest party in Africa and the governing party in Nigeria. To whom much is given, much is expected.
Two days ago, some APC lawmakers left the party for other parties. And that was strange, considering the party’s strength at the national level. It means some things are not going well in some states. Do you see this happening in Cross River?
Surely, I have said that politicians are typical human beings with molecules like osmosis in their veins. They seek space, satisfaction, and opportunities wherever they are. But when the democratic space becomes constipated, lacking transparency, where impunity reigns supreme and justice is absent, they will migrate to find a space where they are protected and where their aspirations and expectations are met.
Cross River APC is fertile ground for such convulsions, but it is up to its leadership to remain on top of its game to prevent this from happening. The forthcoming primaries present a golden opportunity for APC to sit up and ensure that the mistakes of the last congresses earlier this year, as well as the nomination of candidates in the local government elections, are not repeated.
