The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has hijacked the Rivers State chapter of the the All Progressives Congress (APC) leading it against Governor Siminalaye Fubara.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that with this scenario, the party in engrossed in leadership tango between the National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yiwaltda and the state exco.
Yiwaltda gad told a political programme Hard Copy, on Channels Television, that Fubara is the leader of APC in the state according to the party’s rules. The rules state that sitting governors of the party the leaders at the state level, adding that that such leadership must be exercised with inclusiveness.
Yilwatda categorically said Fubara is the APC leader in Rivers State with a caveat that “But he (Fubara) will need to coordinate every other person in the state.”
He clarified that the leadership at the state level does not translate into political exclusion, warning governors against disenfranchising party stakeholders.
“You being the leader doesn’t mean that you now disenfranchise people who are within the state, so we give that room for inclusion,” he stated.
Yilwatda further clarified that his role as national chairman was to coordinate party affairs, not impose leadership or candidates on states.
According to him, party primaries remain the sole determinant of candidates of the 2027 governorship race.
“I’m not the person to choose people in the primary election; everybody undergoes primary election,” he said.
“If Siminalayi emerges as the candidate of APC in Rivers State, I’ll stand by him. But if any other person emerges, I’ll go with him,” Yilwatda added, emphasizing that the party’s loyalty lies with its democratic process, not personalities.
But the APC in Ahoada West Local Government Area would not have none of this, saying they receive political directives from only Wike ahead of the 2027 elections, meaning they have nothing to do with Fubara’s leadership of the party.
The Chairman of the APC in Ahoada West, Rejoice Otobo, who disclosed this during Wike’s “thank you” visit to the area on Sunday, emphatically said “we await instructions from you (Wike) on the 2027 elections.
“Wherever you ask us to go, there we shall go; whatever you ask us to do is what we will do.
“All the people of this LGA have decided that where you want us to go is where we will all go,” he said.
