APC Top Leaders Declares Support For Fubara Amid Renewed Rift With Wike

Top chieftains of the All Progressives Congress have thrown their weight behind Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as political tensions rise between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, confirmed the party’s backing for Fubara’s administration and second-term bid.

“Nobody can frustrate any APC governor. Fubara, like other APC governors, is running the affairs of his state well,” Basiru told Sunday PUNCH.

Abia Radio News recalls that Fubara officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on December 9, 2025, in what many see as a strategic move to secure his re-election.

His switch was followed by the defection of 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the APC, further strengthening his political base within the party.

Reinforcing party support, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, described Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State.

“Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, but he would need to coordinate with every other person in the state,” Yilwatda said during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Hard Copy’ programme on Friday.

However, the governor’s rise within the APC has intensified his feud with Wike, who insists Fubara’s second term is uncertain.

Wike accused the governor of violating their peace accord and cautioned against “opportunistic politics.”

Speaking during his monthly media briefing, the FCT minister declared, “Fubara’s defection to the APC does not make him the party leader in Rivers. I remain the political leader of the state. Our supporters still control the local governments and ward structures.”

Responding indirectly, Fubara stated during a public event aired on Arise TV that he had been subjected to blackmail.

“The only reason the dog barks is when it doesn’t understand. We know where we are going and have set all the things that are needed to make the journey smooth,” he remarked.

Party Insiders Dismiss Wike’s Claims

An APC national officer who spoke anonymously told Sunday Punch that Wike does not have the authority to decide Fubara’s political future.

He challenged Wike’s claim of political dominance in Rivers, adding that the FCT minister’s boast of having Rivers State in his pocket is not true.

“Wike is just unnecessarily agitating himself because ultimately, the decision on Rivers will be that of the President, not him. Wike is not as popular as he is claiming to be. He lost his polling unit in the last election; he lost to the Labour Party. He is just lucky that the President won and felt that he (Wike) was useful to tackle the opposition. It was a tough one winning Rivers State.

“Fubara is a governor of the APC, and the Governors’ Forum of the APC is always a major support for the party. By the rules of our party, we are going to respect the governors and give them the necessary support,” he said.

Speaking on whether the APC would give Fubara an automatic ticket for a second term, the official said the party would not impose candidates.

The national officer, however, explained that any governor seeking re-election would have a brighter chance than fresh contenders.

“The dynamics are always in favour of a sitting governor who is contesting as an incumbent. It is an elementary political thing, unless maybe critical stakeholders at the national level feel otherwise. An incumbent governor stands a better chance than people who are just coming from outside to challenge.

“As far as Rivers is concerned, the state is more or less becoming a one-party state for APC. Even in Ekiti State, some people purchased forms to contest against the governor, but some of them did not scale through proper nomination. The others that scaled through stepped down, and the governor was adopted as a consensus candidate,” he added.

Also commenting on the matter, Basiru told Punch that the party identified with Fubara.

He noted that the mandate of the National Working Committee of the APC was to rally round the governors and strengthen the party’s structure across the country.

He said, “He is running the government, building projects and commissioning projects. As somebody who is a member of our party, the party must identify with him. And that is why we identify with him. So, whatever other politics there are, I do not want to get involved.

“What I know is that he is a governor on the platform of our party, and he has been appointed as a member of an important committee by President Bola Tinubu to work for the party. Just like in every particular context, not everybody will be happy with you, and it does not matter. It is God who gives power, and the people will determine at the appropriate time where they want to go.

“But as a party, we are still duty-bound to identify with all the governors. I am still bound to identify with and support all members of our party. I attend every programme and activity where my party is involved. I am bound to strengthen and support our party.”

Commenting on the remarks made by the National Vice Chairman of the APC, South-South Zone, Victor Giadom, Basiru cautioned APC leaders against making derogatory remarks about any of the party’s governors.

“I find it unfortunate that a member of the NWC, who is the Vice Chairman of the South-South zone of the APC, was referring to a governor in our party as a ‘so-called governor of Rivers State’. No matter what his allegiances are to anybody, it is unbecoming of somebody holding such a sensitive position, and it should not be encouraged by anybody.

“Even if the governor is not in our party, you can’t refer to an elected governor as a ‘so-called governor’ in order to please anybody. The office of the governor is an exalted position, and whoever is occupying it must be respected, irrespective of whatever political differences you have or whatever animosity exists between them,” he said.

Similarly, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Duru Eze, stated that Fubara and other governors had the backing of the President, the APC NWC and the National Executive Committee.

He also affirmed that Fubara and the others would enjoy the same rights and privileges as all party members.

“The leader of the party is President Bola Tinubu. Each of the governors who have come to the party first subscribed to the APC’s constitution and our manifesto.

“They have also received the endorsement of the President, and by extension, that of the NEC and NWC of the party. So, Fubara, other governors and others will get all the necessary support to succeed,” he added.

Also, the Director of Publicity of the party, Bala Ibrahim, noted that Fubara would enjoy the party’s support.

“Not just Fubara, all governors and others joining the APC are doing so because of the achievements of President Bola Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Agenda. They are supporting the President and the party.

“As a result, they will enjoy all the necessary support at all levels because they are now part of the progressives working for the development of Nigeria,” he stated.