Fresh doubt over the political authority of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, within the All Progressives Congress have deepened following the party’s failure to formally receive him weeks after his dramatic defection from the Peoples Democratic Party. The silence from the ruling party has ignited fresh debate over who truly controls the APC structure in Rivers State as the countdown to the 2027 general elections begins.
Since crossing over to the APC, Governor Fubara has remained at the centre of an intense political struggle involving powerful interests loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Rival blocs are openly jostling for dominance in the state, raising speculation that Fubara’s move may not have resolved the long-running leadership crisis that has gripped Rivers politics since the fallout between the two former allies.
The delay in organising a formal welcome has been interpreted by critics as evidence of an unresolved power struggle within the APC. However, the party’s national leadership has rejected suggestions that the Rivers governor is being sidelined or lacks legitimacy within its ranks.
Speaking on TVC, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, dismissed claims of internal resistance to Fubara, insisting that the absence of a reception was purely administrative. He explained that the party was following a carefully arranged political timetable influenced by regional considerations, including ongoing engagements in northern states and preparations ahead of Ramadan.
Yilwatda said the APC chose to complete activities in Kano and other northern states before shifting focus to the South, stressing that the delay had nothing to do with Rivers State politics or Governor Fubara’s standing within the party. According to him, no petition or formal complaint has been submitted to the national leadership challenging Fubara’s authority in Rivers.
He warned against what he described as deliberate attempts to manufacture a crisis, urging critics to present documented grievances rather than rely on speculation. The APC chairman also clarified that political support groups operating under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda are separate from the party’s official structure and do not override established party organs.
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The controversy surrounding Fubara’s position is rooted in the prolonged political upheaval that followed the breakdown of his relationship with Wike after the 2023 elections. The crisis crippled governance in Rivers State for months and culminated in a six-month state of emergency declared by President Tinubu.
During the height of the conflict, Wike openly admitted that backing Fubara for the governorship was a mistake, stating that he would not repeat such a decision. Despite no longer being a member of the APC, the former Rivers governor remains a dominant political force in the state and has consistently argued that party leadership is determined by grassroots control rather than defection alone.
Fubara’s defection to the APC on December 9, 2025, was widely seen as a strategic move to stabilise his political future, secure federal support and strengthen his re-election prospects in 2027. Yet the continued silence from the party and Wike’s enduring influence have kept questions alive about where real power lies in Rivers State.
As political realignments intensify ahead of the next election cycle, the unresolved tension within the APC in Rivers threatens to shape the state’s political landscape in the months to come.
