Two prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains in Cross River State have responded to former governor Senator Ben Ayade’s recent remarks, in which he claimed the party treated him unfairly despite his loyalty. Hon. Bravo Gabriel Oluohu and former presidential aide Okoi Obono-Obla have dismissed Ayade’s complaints as misplaced, stating that he is to blame for his own political setbacks since leaving office.

According to Oluohu, Ayade’s decision to contest the party’s 2022 presidential primary, despite having slim chances of success, weakened his standing within the APC. Oluohu noted that the party favored Ayade with a senatorial ticket, but he was rejected by the electorate, which was not the party’s fault. Furthermore, Oluohu alleged that Ayade withheld campaign funds during the 2023 elections, an action that was reported to President Bola Tinubu and viewed as an act of betrayal.

Obono-Obla also criticized Ayade’s claim that he “socketed” Cross River State to the political centre, describing it as “bunkum, balderdash and despicable revisionism.” Obono-Obla stated that the APC had established its roots in the state before Ayade’s defection in 2020, thanks to the efforts of founding figures such as Alex Irek, Ntufam Hilliard Etta, and himself. He recalled facilitating a 2015 visit by prominent PDP leaders to then President-elect Buhari, which led to appointments and the siting of a federal polytechnic in Ugep.

Obono-Obla accused Ayade of rewarding only his loyalists after his defection, while those who built the APC in Cross River were largely sidelined. He urged Ayade to stop distorting history, emphasizing that the APC’s success in Cross River State was a collective struggle, not the achievement of a single man. The two chieftains’ responses highlight the ongoing internal dynamics within the APC in Cross River State, with Ayade’s comments sparking a debate about his legacy and the party’s history in the state. The controversy is likely to continue, with potential implications for the party’s future in the region.