A Message from a Concerned APC Member

By Comrade Ikhuenbor Felix Igbinevbo (Mr Figo)

If Wike can do it…
If legacy PDP can do it…
If Dan Orbih can do it…

Then we too can do it.

Protest votes are not anti-party; they are a democratic signal — a response to being sidelined and ignored.

Your Excellency, this must be said plainly:

In 2023, we witnessed a crisis within the Labour Party over the imposition and substitution of candidates in our constituency. There were serious allegations that money exchanged hands to replace those believed to be the rightful candidates.

We did not remain silent.

We protested. We engaged the leadership. We took our grievances to the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the party secretariat, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), exhausting every legitimate and democratic channel available to us.

For standing on principle, I became a target—labeled a saboteur and a troublemaker. The state leadership resisted us. Even the candidates involved opposed our stance.

Yet, we stood firm because we believed that the right thing must be done.

When that process failed, the consequences followed. The APC, as a party, benefited from that internal injustice. We mobilized our people—Obidients and Labour Party supporters across Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode— and rallied behind Chief Billy Osawaru, a candidate we believed had emerged through a more transparent and credible process. That collective decision was not incidental; it was decisive and it ultimately shaped the outcome.

That is the power of the people.

Today, we are confronted with a similar situation—this time within the APC, a party we now fully belong to.

The same injustice we resisted then is repeating itself.

We are aware that the withdrawal of Dr. Washington Osa Osifo, PhD, was not voluntary, but rather the result of pressure, intimidation, and political suppression. Such outcomes do not inspire confidence; they breed resentment and ultimately weaken party unity.

And this must be clearly understood:

You cannot impose candidates and expect unquestioned loyalty from the people.

What we rejected yesterday, we cannot accept today—regardless of party affiliation.

From councillorship positions to the Senate, a clear and troubling pattern is emerging—imposition, intimidation, and exclusion. This is not only unsustainable; it is dangerous for the future cohesion of the party.

We are closely observing developments across Edo North, Edo Central, and Edo South. The decisions being taken will ultimately shape the response that follows.

Let it be known:

The people are not passive.
The people are not blind.
The people cannot be forced into acceptance.

Democracy demands participation, fairness, and credibility—not decisions made behind closed doors by a select few.

If people are denied a voice in the process, they will express it through the ballot.

If the direction imposed on us does not serve the interest of the people, we reserve the democratic right to reject it.

This is not rebellion—it is accountability.
This is not disloyalty—it is principle.

You cannot expect citizens to labour and deliver outcomes for decisions they neither participated in nor believe in.

We will not accept what does not represent us.
We will not defend what does not reflect the will of the people.

We are aligned with the party, but alignment does not mean silence in the face of injustice.

Your Excellency and party leaders, this message has been duly delivered.

And I stand to affirm it:

We are not pushovers.
We cannot be suppressed.
We cannot be subdued.

We have a voice—and we will use it.

Democracy belongs to the people.
And the people will always find a way to be heard.

A word is enough for the wise!