By Dr. Gabriel Atumeyi

In all my years of watching Nigerian politics, I have never seen a party that enjoys the kind of goodwill that the APC has enjoyed from its supporters. This is simply the truth. The APC has a following that is willing to go to any length for it. That is not an exaggeration. It is a reality that anyone who has paid attention would attest to.

Of course, other political parties also have their loyalists. But in most cases, you can usually trace the loyalty to something concrete, an appointment, a contract, a favour received or hoped for. That is not the case with the APC. The loyalty here is different. It is almost spiritual and cult-like. People believe in this party in a way that transcends personal benefit. They give because they want to, not because they expect anything big in return. And that is precisely why it is so dangerous to take them for granted.

I remember the Buhari years. President Muhammadu Buhari was the only political figure who commanded a level of love that was unprecedented in our political history. Even after his passing, his memory continues to command reverence. From his first tenure to the second, the army of APC social media influencers and grassroots mobilisers gave their best to the party. They defended every policy, countered every attack, and ensured that the party’s message penetrated every corner of Nigeria.

The party won its two presidential elections in 2015 and 2019 with relative ease. This didn’t happen because of its superior campaign machinery or overwhelming financial resources. Iwas because of the kind of committed followers they had. Men and women who went to bed defending the party and woke up doing the same. They spent their own money, risked their reputations, and in some cases, their physical safety. They were not politicians looking for appointments. They were believers looking for a better Nigeria, even if nothing comes to them directly as reward.

But even at that, the party was missing something—its reward system was not kind to its loyalists.

Fast forward to 2023. The number of committed foot soldiers visibly reduced. I can tell you with certainty that a lot of the people at the top of the ladder in the party are not aware that part of the reason why the party’s performance dropped at the 2023 presidential election was that many of these loyalists, (apart from those who left after the party primaries because they didn’t get what they wanted) who believed they had been taken for a ride, remained indifferent.

They didn’t vote. They didn’t campaign for the APC and didn’t campaign against it either. Rather, they watched from the sidelines. Others still did what they felt they should do, but out of pride, because they didn’t want to be mocked by their friends from the other side. Most often, it is pride that keeps some of them going.

When people who have bled for you begin to withdraw, it is not because they have suddenly become disloyal. It is because they have finally realised that their loyalty was never reciprocated.

I read an article by Dayo Israel, the National Youth Leader of the APC. It was a post-mortem of the Osun State governorship election, and it was candid in a way that is rare among party officials.

In that piece, Dr. Israel painted a picture of a campaign where the official party structures were sidelined. The National Working Committee, he noted, did not even meet to review strategy during the campaign. He also pointed to a party that has come to confuse elite presence with grassroots mobilisation. But the question that should haunt every APC leader is this: Who are the young men and women within our movement willing to put their influence, their creativity, their reputation on the line for this party? And when we find them, do we actually empower them?

But let me go further. Beyond the structural issues that Israel raised, there is something more fundamental at play. It is the question of how the party treats its most loyal supporters.

No doubt, this will sound bitter to some party members who can never see anything wrong in the fault lines, but this is the voice of young people who love their party and are heartbroken by what they see—young men and women tired of being sidelined, tired of being remembered only when election season comes around, tired of giving their all and receiving nothing in return.

The scriptures speak to this. The Bible reminds us: “The labourer is worthy of his reward” (1 Timothy 5:18). And the Qur’an declares: “And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives” (Surah An-Najm 53:39). These are not just religious injunctions; they are universal truths about the human condition. When people give their all, they deserve to be acknowledged.

As the political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli once observed, “Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries—for heavy ones they cannot.” And in our own time, it has been said that gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others. A party that forgets this truth does so at its own peril.

How do you explain a situation where party loyalists can point to names that somehow found their way onto appointment lists—names of people who have never campaigned, never contributed, never defended the party in its darkest hours—while those who have bled for the party are left to wonder if anyone even knows their names?

Take the case of Mariam Shetty for example. She was appointed as a minister but had her name removed at the last minute. Till today, nothing has been done about her. No compensation, no alternative appointment and no one deemed it necessary to apologise to her for that embarrassing moment of her life. Yet, Mariam continues to fund the party in Kano with her personal resources. She does propaganda, pays for television interviews, and promotes the programmes and policies of this government. She defends the party in every forum, even when it is not politically convenient to do so. She has every reason to walk away, but she stays. That is beyond loyalty, it is grace that the APC is taking for granted.

Then there is Elton Onwu. A committed party man who has never complained. One who will stick his neck out for the party no matter the circumstances. He has been there through thick and thin, defending the APC in spaces where it was unpopular to do so. He is the kind of person every party dreams of having—loyal, dependable, and tireless. And yet, his name rarely comes up when appointments are being shared. He does not complain. He just keeps working. But there is a limit to what a man can endure in silence.

Consider Sunday Wale Adeniran. A strong social media influencer who commands respect across the digital space. He has used his platform to advance the cause of the party, engaging in debates, correcting misinformation, and rallying support. He has been a thorn in the flesh of the opposition, particularly the Obedients, who have found him a most irritating presence. He is one of the reasons why the APC has maintained a strong presence in the online space. But beyond the accolades, what has the party done to show appreciation?

Think of Nnenna Agbai, one of those who were almost lynched in the South East when APC was considered a taboo in that region. She stood firm and refused to be intimidated. She continued to wave the flag of the party even when it seemed like a suicidal mission. Her courage is legendary among those who know the history of the party in the South East, especially in Abia where she comes from. Yet, her name is not on any meaningful list.

It costs the party nothing to make a few calls and find a place for people like this in one agency or the other. These are bills these individuals can comfortably carry until the next election cycle, if official appointments are not immediately available. All they ask for is a sense of belonging, a recognition that they are seen and valued. That is not too much to ask. But even that small gesture has proved beyond this party.

And there is Alexander Aghedo. A young, vibrant, and intellectual powerhouse from Edo State. He represents the kind of energy and cerebral engagement that the party desperately needs. He is the kind of young leader who can inspire his generation to believe in the APC. He has the intellect, the charisma, and the dedication. But he remains on the fringes, waiting for the party to recognise what it has.

Then there is Zia Usman, Uche Agbaeze Okocha, Uche NNADOZIE, all loyal to a fault. These are quiet warriors who never seek the spotlight but is always there when the party needs a voice. Through every storm, every attack, every difficult moment, they have stood firm. He have defended the party in spaces where it was easier to remain silent. They have given their time, resources, and his voices without asking for anything in return.

These are not isolated cases. They are symptoms of a deeper problem. Yes, the party has done something for a few—appointed a handful, given recognition here and there—but for the vast majority who have given their all, the story is different. A culture has been created where loyalty is expected as a duty but rarely appreciated as a virtue. And that is not sustainable.

I am not suggesting that every loyalist should be given a political appointment. That would be neither practical nor desirable. But there is a difference between rewarding loyalty and taking it for granted. There is a difference between acknowledging sacrifice and pretending it never happened. And there is a difference between building a party and simply using people.

What message does it send when a Mariam Shetty is abandoned after she was almost made a minister? What hope does that give to the next young woman like her considering whether to invest their future in this party? What signal does it send when the National Youth Leader has to beg to be involved in a campaign? What does it tell the women of this party when their wing is reduced to decoration at rallies?

In politics, goodwill is a currency. It can be spent. It can be invested. But it can also be depleted. And once it is gone, no amount of campaign spending or media manipulation can bring it back.

The APC leadership must understand that the people who are keeping this party alive are not the governors, the senators, or the appointed officials. They are the Mariam Shettys, the Elton Onwus, the Sunday Wale Adenirans, the Nnenna Agbais, the Alexander Aghedos and a thousands of others of this world. They are the grassroots mobilisers, the social media warriors, the community organisers, and the ordinary members who show up day after day, year after year, expecting nothing but giving everything.

The Osun election was a wake-up call. The 2023 presidential election was another. The APC cannot afford to ignore these warnings any longer.

The party’s goodwill is not infinite. It is being depleted every day that loyalty goes unrecognised and commitment goes unrewarded. The people who are keeping this party alive are tired. They are tired of being taken for granted and are tired of being used and discarded. They are tired of seeing others who have done nothing for the party get everything while they get nothing.

If the APC leadership does not act now, 2027 will be worse than 2023. And by then, it will be too late.

I write this not as a critic of the APC. I write this as someone who believes that a strong ruling party is essential for a stable democracy.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave us a democratic contest in Osun. Governor Adeleke understood his people. Davido understood his generation. The question is whether the APC understands its own lesson.