The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has stated that the leader of the party in Rivers state is Governor Siminalayi Fubara, adding that he would support the second-term ambition of the governor if he can win the primaries of the party.
The APC chairman made the declaration while speaking on the Channels Television programme, Hard Copy. His statement reads in part: “Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, but he would need to coordinate with every other person in the state.”
Professor Yilwatda explained that the party leadership did not choose who to support in the APC primary, adding that he would sympathise with the governor should he not win the party ticket for his second term in office and then move on with whoever wins the ticket.
Yilwatda’s comment came amid the renewed rivalry between Governor Fubara and the camp of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, who has alleged that the governor had failed to abide by their agreement with President Bola Tinubu.
Wike and Fubara have been making headlines as they throw banters at each other during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The minister has been visiting local governments in the state and addressing supporters as they geared up for the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, the APC national chairman’s comment has started generating reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their reactions to the video of the interview that was shared on X:
A. Adebanji mentions what will happen if Fubara wins the war:
“The battle for Rivers State: if Fubara manages to pull this off and wins the APC primary and eventually becomes governor, Wike’s political relevance in Rivers State will significantly decline.”
Utieyinnoritse McNeil mentions what Fubara needs to do:
“This statement here if Fubara does not play his game well, he would be knocked out in the primaries, so he needs to make sure all those he is putting in his cabinet are party members that can vote for him during the Primaries or else.”
PragmaricDB wrote:
“Yes, Fubara is the leader of APC in Rivers State, but Wike is the political leader in Rivers State.”
Sir Lexus commented:
“From his statement, the game has been won and lost, all the federal and state lawmakers are with Wike, all the APC strong hands are with Wike, I don’t see a part how Fubara is going to upturn this one.”