Why we are yet to welcome Fubara – APC Chair

Questions over the political authority of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, within the All Progressives Congress (APC) have intensified following the party’s failure to formally welcome him weeks after his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The silence has fueled claims of an unresolved leadership struggle in Rivers, where rival political forces continue to contest control of party structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

Since crossing over to the APC, Fubara has found himself at the centre of a high stakes political struggle with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as rival power blocs seek dominance in Rivers State.

However, the national leadership of the APC has dismissed such interpretations.

The party has insisted that the absence of a formal reception is neither a snub nor a sign of internal opposition to Fubara.

Speaking on TVC, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, said the delay was the outcome of a carefully sequenced political timetable shaped by regional and religious considerations rather than Rivers State politics.

According to Yilwatda, the party opted to complete planned engagements in northern states before shifting attention southward, citing the approaching Ramadan and the need to respect sensitivities in predominantly Muslim communities.

He explained that the APC was already preparing activities in Kano and other northern states and found it prudent to conclude those processes before organising receptions elsewhere in the country.

Yilwatda stressed that the decision was strategic and administrative, not a reflection of Governor Fubara’s standing or authority within the party.

He dismissed suggestions that the Rivers governor lacked effective control of the APC in the state.

He said there was no formal complaint or petition before the party leadership on the issue.

He challenged those advancing the narrative to produce evidence, warning that speculation without documented grievances amounted to manufacturing a crisis where none had been officially presented.

The APC chairman said there is a clear line between the party’s formal structure and political support groups operating under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda in Rivers State.

“Such alignments do not fall under the authority of the party chairman or replace established party organs”, he said.

The controversy surrounding Fubara’s status is rooted in the prolonged political upheaval in Rivers State following the collapse of his relationship with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, after the 2023 elections.

That conflict paralysed governance in the state for months and at its peak led to the declaration of a six month state of emergency by President Tinubu.

As the crisis festered, Wike publicly admitted that he made a mistake supporting Fubara to become governor of Rivers State.

He said his decision to back Fubara during the 2023 governorship election was wrong and that he would not repeat such support.

Fubara’s defection to the APC on December 9, 2025, was widely interpreted as a move to stabilise his political future, consolidate federal backing and strengthen his chances of securing a second term in 2027.

Yet Wike, who remains a dominant political actor in Rivers State despite not being a member of the APC, has openly disputed the notion that defection alone confers party leadership.

He has argued that political authority in Rivers is still determined by grassroots control and party structures, many of which remain occupied by his loyalists.

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