APC Leaders Back Fubara as Wike Draws Battle Line

Top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weight behind Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State governor, ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for a renewed political showdown with Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory.

The APC’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said the party has fully endorsed Fubara’s re-election bid, stressing that no APC governor would be undermined by internal or external forces.

“Nobody can frustrate any APC governor. Governor Fubara, like other APC governors, is running the affairs of his state well,” Basiru said in an interview.

Fubara formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on December 9, a move widely interpreted as a strategic realignment ahead of his second-term ambition. His defection was soon followed by that of 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, further strengthening the APC’s foothold in the state.

The party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, has also affirmed Fubara’s leadership of the APC in Rivers State. Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme, Yilwatda said the governor is the recognised leader of the party in the state but must work collaboratively with other stakeholders.

“Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, but he would need to coordinate with every other person in the state,” Yilwatda said.

The growing show of support from APC leaders signals a hardening of political lines in Rivers State, with observers expecting an intense power struggle as the 2027 elections draw closer.