The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has recognised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the party’s leader in the state, while declaring that the governor must win the party’s primary election to secure its ticket for a second term in 2027.
Yilwatda made the position clear during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, amid disagreements over who controls the APC’s political structure in Rivers State.
According to the party chairman, the APC’s established practice is to recognise serving governors as leaders of the party in their respective states. He, however, stressed that such recognition comes with the responsibility to accommodate other stakeholders and maintain unity within the party.
“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.
He explained that while governors are given leadership responsibilities at the state level, they are expected to ensure that other party members are not sidelined.
Fubara Must Win APC Primary Before Getting Second-Term Ticket
On whether the APC would support Fubara’s ambition to return to office in 2027, Yilwatda maintained that the governor would have to follow the party’s established nomination process.
The chairman explained that the APC would not automatically grant the governor its governorship ticket simply because he occupies the position of state party leader.
He cited the party’s experience in Ekiti State, where the incumbent governor participated in the primary election before emerging as the party’s candidate.
Yilwatda said the same principle would apply to Rivers State, adding that the party would support whoever legitimately emerges as its candidate.
His position leaves the door open for other APC aspirants to contest the governorship ticket, even as Fubara enjoys recognition as the party’s leader in the state.
Wike’s Influence Questioned
The APC chairman’s comments also touched on the political influence of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Fubara’s predecessor as Rivers governor.
Wike had challenged Fubara’s claim to leadership of the APC in Rivers State following the governor’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling party in December 2025.
Wike argued that being the first person registered in a particular ward did not automatically make Fubara the leader of the party across the state.
However, Yilwatda maintained that discussions about the APC’s affairs in Rivers State would centre on Fubara because the governor is a member of the party, while Wike remains in the PDP.
“If we are discussing elections, we will not be discussing with Nyesom Wike. He is not a member of our party,” the chairman said.
He added that his responsibility was to address matters concerning the APC rather than individuals belonging to other political parties.
Political Tensions Ahead of 2027
The disagreement reflects the continuing political tensions surrounding the relationship between Fubara and Wike, whose fallout has shaped Rivers State politics in recent years.
The crisis previously escalated into a major confrontation involving the governor and the Rivers State House of Assembly, leading to emergency rule in the state in March 2025. Fubara subsequently returned to office after the emergency rule ended in September of that year.
Fubara’s defection to the APC later introduced another dimension to the dispute, particularly over party leadership and the political arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.
Yilwatda’s remarks clarified the national party leadership’s position on who leads the APC in Rivers State and the process for selecting its governorship candidate.
However, the question of who will eventually secure the party’s ticket remains dependent on the primary election and the party’s formal nomination procedures.
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