All Eyes on APC’s Gov’ship Primaries in Rivers

Will the All Progressives Congress deny Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, a reelection ticket for the 2027 elections due to the influence of his erstwhile political godfather and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike? Wale Igbintade asks

Before Sunday, May 10, 2026, the political atmosphere in Rivers State had remained troubled by the prolonged supremacy battle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike for the political soul of the state.

Every effort to reconcile Wike, the former political godfather and his godson, Fubara, has failed woefully, leading to continuous political and governance crises in the oil-rich South-south state.

Wike, who is also the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and President Bola Tinubu’s henchman, had sworn to remove from office and to replace Governor Fubara. The embattled governor has, as a result, suffered and survived many traps, including the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, which temporarily removed him from the Rivers State Government House.

So, when on his return to office, he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), not a few believed that by belonging to the same political party as President Tinubu, his feud with the minister would have been resolved substantially.

But last Sunday, when Fubara walked out of Plateau Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, venue of APC’s screening for 2027 governorship election, looking moody, it seemed certain that the long battle between Fubara and Wike had not been settled at all; it had only been postponed again, this time, to the day of the APC governorship primaries.

Although the governor was screened and cleared to contest the governorship primaries, it seems his clearance left some sour grapes in the mouth – he has Hon. Kingsley Chinda and Alabo George-Kelly-both nominated by Wike, to seriously contend with.

It would be recalled that Wike, a confirmed member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has repeatedly vowed that Fubara would not return as governor. On many occasions, he has equally maintained that the mistake he made in nominating Fubara as governor in 2023 would not repeat itself in 2027. 

For this reason, he initially nominated Chinda, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and confirmed member of the PDP from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, as a governorship aspirant in the state. 

However, reliable sources confirmed that sensing the hurdles Chinda might face within his faction of the PDP following the Supreme Court judgment involving Sam Anyanwu, and the complications that could arise from any formal announcement of Chinda’s defection to the APC, the minister pushed him to obtain the APC nomination form.

Anticipating that many would want Fubara to complete his eight-year term and probably kick against the governorship seat returning to Ikwerre, the minister also hurriedly nominated his former Commissioner for Works, George-Kelly as a back up to drag the ticket with Fubara.

For George-Kelly, many are worried about his coming into the governorship late. They wondered why he did not resign when President Tinubu on March 17, 2026, directed all political appointees—including ministers, advisers, and agency heads—seeking to contest the 2027 general election to resign by March 31.

Recall that the National Chairman of APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, on January 3, 2026, had declared Governor Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State. 

He also pledged to support Fubara’s second-term bid if he wins the party’s primaries. Speaking during a television interview, Yilwatda explained that it was the APC’s practice to recognise serving governors as party leaders in their respective states. 

But Wike had strongly opposed the move and tongue-lashed the APC leadership, including its National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, to “stay away” from Rivers State politics and not take his support for President Tinubu for granted. This followed Basiru’s demand for Wike to resign and focus on his “obsession” with Rivers State politics.

Explaining the development, Dr. Francis Umene, a political analyst in Port Harcourt, said in an exclusive interview: “It is true Governor Fubara was eventually screened and cleared. But nobody is deceived by this into believing all is well. All is not well. Reports on what transpired at the screening confirm the fear that the final battle between Fubara and Wike is around the corner. The signals are just too scary.”

Another issue arising from the APC screening is the possible factors that informed the choice of Wike’s men that were brought forward to challenge Governor Fubara during the APC primaries.

Desmond West, a youth leader and grassroots politician in Port Harcourt, said: “Loyalty, proven with long association and ethnic balancing may have both played parts in Wike’s choices and the reason some political stakeholders are currently concerned,” West said, adding, “Ask any insider, Kingsley Chinda and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly are amongst the closest loyal allies of Wike since his days as governor.”

While not denying their closeness to Wike and his knowledge of their capacities, the first question any critical observer, West added, will ask is why Wike would sponsor two of his very close allies at the same time and in the same contest?

“Are they meant to contest against themselves even as they contest against Fubara?”

Unravelling this puzzle, Chief Akede Abbey, a grassroots politician said: “Anybody following the development closely and those of us that are insiders know that Wike’s primary desire is to replace Governor Fubara with Hon Kingsley Chinda.”

According to him, the lawmaker is his first choice but the opposition he may get from powerful stakeholders made him consider ethnic balancing.

But questions still hover around Wike’s nominees. From the late resignation of George-Kelly from his position as DG of BCDA to the certainty surrounding Chinda’s alleged defection to APC.

Also commenting on Hon Chinda’s participation at the screening, Madam Grace Unyaku, a Woman Leader in Rivers  said: “As would be expected, this Chinda’s sudden move to contest APC’s governorship primaries is rather confusing to some of us. So, my question is, has the honourable, whom we all know as a PDP chieftain, defected to APC? If he has, when did this happen?

“Also, we hear there are calls already for his removal as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

“What is really happening? Is Wike’s personal interest in the affairs of the APC above the Nigerian ruling party’s rules, regulations and presidential guidelines? Or better put, has President Tinubu and the National Assembly empowered Wike to merge APC and PDP, without INEC’s guidelines and supervision?”

While minister has remained in the PDP, he controls the structures of both the APC and PDP in the state. He facilitated the elections of every member serving in the local governments, state House of Assembly and the National Assembly. Also, those in federal government agencies were nominated by him.

With the primaries billed to hold in each of the local government where the chairmen he nominated are in charge, many observers are worried that Fubara does not stand any chance to clinch the party ticket.

Last Tuesday, Wike allegedly held a closed-door meeting with the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Yilwatda, at his Abuja residence. 

Though details of the meeting were not officially disclosed to the media, on Wednesday, Wike, while inspecting ongoing road projects in Karu, Apo-Karshi and Kubwa in the FCT, dismissed criticisms trailing the visit, insisting that politics should not be reduced to hostility and suspicion.

However, many believe that his visit revolved around ensuring Fubara is not given any undue advantage to get the party ticket.

The question on the lips of members of the party is: Will the APC set a dangerous precedent by denying Fubara a reelection ticket? Will the party kowtow to the decision of one man who is not a member of the party? Will the party serve man, God and mammoth at the same time? The people of the state are watching with bated breath.