Political disagreements in Rivers State have taken a new turn as several governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress openly align with Governor Siminalayi Fubara ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development is seen as a setback to the plans of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who has openly opposed Fubara’s second-term ambition.
Party insiders say the renewed face-off between the two former allies grew stronger after some APC governors resolved to support Fubara’s re-election bid. The situation reportedly angered Wike, who is believed to have expected full control of Rivers political affairs even after leaving office. APC leaders at the national level are also said to have taken interest in Fubara’s projects across the state, a move that further strengthened his standing within the ruling party.
A senior APC official said, “The plan is to weaken the FCT minister in his home state and reduce his influence and political power. This was further compounded by the fact that Wike is reportedly not favoured by some powerful members of the Tinubu administration. So, some APC governors mobilised their colleagues to support Fubara, and the result is what is playing out in the form of the renewed hostilities between the two men.”
The crisis also triggered sharp exchanges between APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, and Wike. Basiru asked the minister to resign and stop interfering in party matters, while Wike fired back with strong warnings during a visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area.
Wike said, “Let me warn those who come to Rivers State, because you have heard that we have N600bn, you come here, you collect, and you open your mouth to talk anyhow… This state is a no-go area. Take the one you have taken, stop making unnecessary comments.”
Basiru responded by insisting that Wike had no authority over APC affairs, saying, “I am the National Secretary of APC, and I don’t see any basis for him to be making comments about my activities either in Rivers State or in any part of Nigeria.”
The political tension has also led to major defections, including the Rivers deputy governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, who both left the PDP for the APC.
Elders and stakeholders have expressed concern over the crisis. Ann Kio-Briggs warned that attempts to block Fubara’s ambition amount to a threat to the people of Rivers State, saying, “The minister is not the owner of Rivers State. He doesn’t own Rivers State, and he doesn’t own the people of Rivers State.”