The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, arrived at the Plateau State Government House Lodge in Asokoro on Sunday to formally undergo the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening process ahead of the 2027 governorship elections.
The Governor’s appearance follows significant speculation regarding his candidacy, as he seeks to secure the party’s mandate for a second term. The exercise is being conducted by the APC Governorship Screening Committee, an elite panel chaired by the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, specifically tasked with vetting incumbent governors.
The screening is a mandatory prerequisite for all aspirants seeking to participate in the party’s primary elections. Governor Fubara’s move to present himself before the Professor Yilwatda-led committee is seen as a definitive step in consolidating his political standing amidst a complex local political landscape in Rivers State.
National party sources indicate that the committee is evaluating aspirants based on their adherence to the party’s constitution, electoral guidelines, and their general standing within the “Progressives” fold.
In a concurrent development that underscores the significant realignment of the Rivers State political class, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Right Honourable Martins Amaewhule, also appeared before the APC House of Representatives Screening Committee on Sunday.
Speaker Amaewhule is reportedly vying for a seat in the National Assembly, marking a strategic shift from the state legislature to the federal level. His participation in the screening process further confirms the massive migration of key Rivers political actors into the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The APC National Secretariat has maintained a rigorous pace in its screening exercises, which cover candidates for various executive and legislative positions across the Federation.
As the screening concludes, the focus now shifts to the party primaries. For Rivers State, the appearance of both the Governor and the Speaker before APC panels signals a transformative chapter in the state’s governance, as traditional political boundaries continue to dissolve in the build-up to the 2027 polls.
Leave a comment