“Who Are the Real Stakeholders?” — APC Aspirants Forum Blasts Party Leadership Over Exclusion
By Uyinme Ekwere
Uyo, Akwa Ibom – July 23, 2025 — Tensions are flaring within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State as the APC Aspirants Forum has publicly condemned the Party’s leadership over what it terms the continued exclusion and marginalisation of its members.
In a strongly worded communiqué issued after a high-level meeting at the Forum’s Secretariat in Uyo, the group—comprising aspirants who contested under the APC banner between 2015 and 2023—criticised the Party’s decision to exclude them from a recent stakeholders’ meeting with Governor Umo Bassey Eno.
Describing the snub as “insulting, unacceptable, and a direct affront” to their contributions, the Forum accused the Party’s leadership of undermining its own loyalists. The communiqué was signed by Dr. Christopher Enoch (State Coordinator) and Engr. Inuaeyen Nyaudo Inuaeyen (State Secretary).
“We spent billions of naira purchasing nomination forms, mobilising grassroots supporters, funding campaigns, and building APC into the strong party it is today,” the group stated. “If we are not considered stakeholders, then who is?”
The Forum accused the Party of selective recognition and warned that it would no longer tolerate being treated as “outsiders in a Party they helped nurture and grow.” They called on the APC State Chairman, Obong Stephen Ntuekpo, to immediately recognise and integrate them into the Party’s activities, saying their contributions are indispensable to the APC’s grassroots strength.
Mixed Signals: Endorsements Despite Outrage
Despite its grievances, the Forum ended its meeting with a surprising twist—endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and even Governor Umo Bassey Eno of the opposition PDP.
“The Forum unanimously passes a Vote of Confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pledging our unalloyed loyalty and support to his administration and his second term come 2027. Carry go our President till 2031!” the communiqué read.
Describing Tinubu as “a man chosen by God to reposition Nigeria,” the group also heaped praise on Senate President Akpabio, calling him “an uncommon political engineer” for his stabilising influence on the APC in the state.
In a move likely to raise eyebrows within the Party, the Forum extended glowing commendations to Governor Umo Eno, hailing his peace-building initiatives and “visible developmental strides” under his ARISE Agenda. The group urged the Governor to include its members in his administration as part of his inclusivity agenda.
A Warning Shot to APC Leadership
The Aspirants Forum’s message was clear: respect, recognise, and include us—or risk losing critical grassroots support ahead of 2027.
“We are ready and willing to work with all leaders to deliver total victory for the APC in 2027, but we demand respect, recognition, and inclusion as core and critical stakeholders. The time for exclusion is over,” they declared.
The meeting ended with renewed commitment to intensified grassroots mobilisation, but the underlying tension remains a stark warning to the APC leadership: without unity, 2027 could be a rocky road.





