The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a robust declaration of support for the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, effectively rebuffing attempts by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to undermine the Governor’s standing within the party.
This high-level intervention follows Governor Fubara’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on 9 December, a move regarded as a strategic realignment ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. The defection, which coincided with 17 members of the State House of Assembly joining the ruling party, has significantly exacerbated the long-standing friction between the Governor and his predecessor, Mr Wike.
In a definitive statement to the press, the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, dismissed suggestions that the Governor’s position was under threat. “Nobody can frustrate any APC governor. Fubara, like other APC governors, is running the affairs of his state well,” Mr Basiru remarked, noting that the party fully identifies with the Governor’s administrative achievements and infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, the National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has formally recognised Mr Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State. Whilst acknowledging that the Governor must “coordinate with every other person in the state,” the Chairman’s declaration directly contradicts assertions made by Mr Wike, who recently claimed that the Governor’s defection did not confer leadership of the state party structure.
The rift has seen Mr Wike label the Governor’s election a “mistake” and vow to block his second-term ambitions, even under the APC banner. However, senior party officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have suggested that the Minister’s influence may be overstated.
“Wike is just unnecessarily agitating himself because, ultimately, the decision on Rivers will be that of the President, not him,” one official stated. The source further noted that whilst Mr Wike was a useful ally in the previous election, he remains an outsider to the party’s formal hierarchy. “Wike is not a member of the APC… by the rules of our party, we are going to respect the governors and give them the necessary support.”
The party’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Duru Eze, and the Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, echoed these sentiments, confirming that Governor Fubara enjoys the “endorsement of the President” and the full backing of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Mr Basiru also took the opportunity to caution other party leaders against internal sabotage. He specifically criticised the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Victor Giadom, for referring to Mr Fubara as a “so-called governor.”
“It is unbecoming of somebody holding such a sensitive position,” Mr Basiru said. “The office of the governor is an exalted position, and whoever is occupying it must be respected, irrespective of political differences.”
Africa Update reports that within Rivers State, elders and political leaders have rallied behind the Governor. Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, a pioneer spokesman for the Pan Niger Delta Forum, warned Mr Wike against “playing God” with the destiny of the state, asserting that the electorate, not a single political figure would determine the next governor.
Chief Asukewe Iko-Awaji further lamented that the state had “lost six months of democratic governance” due to the political instability caused by the Minister’s conduct, suggesting that the public would resist any attempt to impose an alternative candidate.
As the APC moves to consolidate its structure in Rivers, the national leadership’s alignment with Governor Fubara signals a shift in the regional power balance, placing the weight of the federal party machinery firmly behind the incumbent Governor.
