Fresh details have emerged on how Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara lost political backing from President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in his ongoing power struggle with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Party officials and APC insiders revealed that Fubara fell out of favour after allegedly reneging on reconciliation agreements tied to the crisis in Rivers politics.
A member of the APC National Working Committee, speaking anonymously, said the party leadership declined to formally welcome Fubara into the APC after his defection because he did not have Wike’s backing.
“The President handed over the political structure of Rivers State to Wike,” the official said. “Fubara joined the party to outsmart Wike in a desperate move to secure a second term.”
The source added that the APC leadership had already aligned with what it described as the president’s political position in the state.
“The President advised him to focus on governance and leave Wike alone for party politics,” the official said, adding that Tinubu intervened in earlier impeachment attempts against the governor.
According to the insider, an understanding was reached that Fubara would not seek a second term, a claim the governor allegedly agreed to.
“But once the governor settles in Port Harcourt, some people advise him against Wike again,” the source said.
The APC official said party leaders could not support Fubara’s alleged second-term ambition, describing it as contrary to the settlement terms.
Another party source in Abuja said Fubara was not cleared by the APC governorship screening committee headed by National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.
“What I know is that Fubara was not cleared by the APC screening committee,” the source said, adding that the governor later left the venue in anger.
A loyalist of Wike also claimed Fubara was barred from contesting under the APC, saying “Wike has sealed the governor’s fate.”
Fubara officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on Dec. 9, 2025. He later visited the APC national secretariat on Dec. 17, pledging to support Tinubu and the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Despite the defection, the APC did not organise an official reception for him, unlike other governors who joined the party.
APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda later said the delay was due to “regional sensitivities.”
Fubara’s political troubles in Rivers State have included multiple impeachment attempts. Lawmakers first moved against him in October 2023, just months after he took office. A second attempt escalated in 2025, prompting President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025.
The emergency rule suspended Fubara, his deputy and members of the state assembly for six months, with a retired naval officer appointed as administrator.
A third impeachment move began in January 2026, according to party sources.
Political tensions in Rivers State have drawn reactions from regional groups and supporters of the governor, many of whom have expressed disappointment over his reported withdrawal from the 2027 governorship race.
Ijaw youth groups and other stakeholders described the development as a setback, while urging the governor to reconsider his position and complete ongoing projects in the state.
