The All Progressives Congress (APC) has closed ranks around Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, declaring that no individual or interest can frustrate a governor elected on the platform of the ruling party, despite renewed political hostilities involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Top officials of the party, including members of the National Working Committee (NWC), affirmed that Governor Fubara enjoys the full backing of the APC and would be accorded all the rights, protections and political support due to any serving governor of the party.
National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, told The Guardian that the party’s constitution and internal tradition do not permit the undermining of its governors, stressing that Fubara’s administration in Rivers State aligns with the APC’s governance objectives.
“Nobody can frustrate any APC governor. Governor Fubara, like other governors on our platform, is running the affairs of his state effectively, and the party must identify with him,” Basiru said.
Fubara’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on December 9, alongside 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has reshaped the state’s political landscape and intensified tensions with Wike, who has publicly questioned the governor’s prospects for a second term.
However, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has already declared Fubara the leader of the party in Rivers State, noting that while internal coordination is required, the governor’s position within the party structure is not in doubt.
A senior APC official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, dismissed claims that any single political actor could determine Fubara’s fate, insisting that the ultimate authority within the party rests with President Bola Tinubu and its recognised organs.
“By our rules, APC governors are respected and supported. The Governors’ Forum is a major stabilising force in the party. No individual can override that,” the official said, adding that incumbency naturally confers political advantage in any re-election contest.
Party leaders also cautioned against disparaging remarks directed at elected officials, with Basiru describing as “unfortunate” comments attributed to the APC’s South-South Vice Chairman that appeared dismissive of the Rivers governor.
Similarly, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Duru Eze, and National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, reiterated that Fubara enjoys the endorsement of the President, the National Executive Committee and the NWC, and would not be treated differently from any other APC governor.
At the state level, Rivers APC spokesman, Chibike Ikenga, maintained that only the President and the party’s national leadership could determine the governor’s political future, stressing that Wike, not being a member of the APC, had no role in its internal decisions.
Elders and stakeholders in Rivers State also weighed in, warning against attempts to personalise political power and insisting that the electorate, not political godfathers, would ultimately decide the state’s leadership.
Despite Wike’s renewed insistence that Fubara’s re-election would be blocked, APC leaders remain firm that the party’s structure, constitution and leadership would not allow any of its governors to be politically frustrated.
