By Calistus Onwuegbunam 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra State is a textbook case of political betrayal, short-sightedness, and mismanagement. For someone whose political ascendancy is rooted in loyalty and reward systems, his disregard for the APC faithful in Anambra is disappointing and a dangerous gamble threatening the party’s future in the South-East.

During the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu secured a meagre 5,111 votes in Anambra, a remarkable feat for its quantity and the circumstances. These votes came from loyal APC supporters who stood firm in a state where Peter Obi had achieved near-messianic status. These individuals defied societal pressure, familial alienation, and even threats to their safety to back Tinubu. Yet, instead of rewarding this loyalty, Tinubu has left these brave APC members out in the cold, opting instead to bolster the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA-the APC’s most formidable rival in the state.

This betrayal is epitomised by two appointments: Iyom Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, a staunch APGA supporter and BoT member, as Anambra’s minister, and Mark Okoye Jr., another APGA operative, as the head of the South-East Development Commission. These choices are a slap in the face to APC loyalists and send a demoralising message: loyalty to the APC in Anambra is not just unrewarded but penalised. Some argue that Tinubu’s overtures to APGA are a strategic attempt to secure South-East votes for his 2027 re-election bid.

However, this rationale is deeply flawed. APGA’s political influence is overstated; its 2023 presidential candidate failed to secure a single polling unit in Anambra. Even Governor Charles Soludo, APGA’s most prominent figure, could not deliver his polling unit. By prioritising APGA figures over APC loyalists, Tinubu undermines the party’s grassroots base in Anambra, alienating those who risked everything for him in 2023.

The implications of this approach are dire. The 5,111 loyalists who voted for Tinubu in 2023 represent the seeds of a potential grassroots movement. Proper recognition and empowerment of these individuals could mobilise tens of thousands of new supporters. Instead, Tinubu’s actions have stifled the APC’s momentum, eroding the party’s credibility and morale ahead of the critical 2025 Anambra gubernatorial election.

This betrayal also exposes Tinubu’s glaring hypocrisy. Throughout his career, Tinubu has championed the ideals of loyalty and reward as the bedrock of political success. Yet, in Anambra, he has abandoned these principles, undermining the very foundation of his leadership. How can Tinubu expect nationwide loyalty when his actions in Anambra scream betrayal?

The long-term consequences for the APC in Anambra-and the South-East-could be catastrophic. Tinubu risks extinguishing the APC’s presence in the region by sidelining the party’s loyalists and empowering opposition figures. Worse still, he sends a dangerous signal to party members nationwide: loyalty to the APC is futile.

If Tinubu does not reverse course and recognise the sacrifices of the Anambra APC faithful, he risks writing the political obituary of the APC in the Southeast. Perhaps it will read: “Here lies the APC in the South-East, betrayed not by its enemies but by its leader.”

•Onwuegbunam, a legal practitioner, wrote from Awka