The Digest:
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has definitively declared Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the party's leader in Rivers State, settling a simmering dispute while setting clear terms for future support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Key Points:
- APC Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda stated unequivocally that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is "the leader of the APC in Rivers State," urging him to coordinate inclusively with other members.
- Yilwatda clarified that support for Fubara's second-term bid in 2027 is conditional, requiring him to "go through the normal process" and win the party's primaries.
- He explicitly excluded the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, from party discussions, stating, "We will not be discussing with Nyesom Wike. He is not a member of our party."
- This declaration aims to resolve a public power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, who had both claimed leadership of the APC in the state despite Wike remaining in the PDP.
- The pronouncement follows a protracted political crisis in Rivers that led to a six-month emergency rule and multiple presidential interventions to broker peace.
- By anointing Fubara, the APC leadership is choosing to back the sitting state executive over a powerful external figure, attempting to consolidate its structure within the volatile state.
Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust
