Moves by Nyesom Wike to block Fubara’s 2027 bid face resistance as APC governors back the Rivers governor amid escalating party tensions
Moves by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to derail the 2027 re-election bid of Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, have suffered a setback as several All Progressives Congress governors rallied behind the embattled governor.
Also read: Rivers APC Pledges Loyalty to FCT Minister Wike Ahead of 2027
Multiple senior APC sources confirmed on Monday that renewed hostilities between Wike and Fubara were triggered by decisions of influential APC governors to support Fubara’s second-term ambition.
Party insiders said the development angered the FCT minister, who has openly opposed Fubara’s re-election since their political fallout.
The situation was further compounded by the APC leadership’s endorsement of Fubara, who has reportedly gained the confidence of top party figures impressed by his project delivery across Rivers State.
According to sources, tensions escalated after Wike-backed forces allegedly attempted to promote former Peoples Democratic Party National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, as a governorship candidate in Imo State without consulting Governor Hope Uzodimma, the APC Governors’ Forum Chairman.
The move reportedly infuriated Uzodimma and prompted quiet mobilisation among APC governors against the FCT minister.
“The plan is to weaken the minister politically in Rivers State,” a senior APC official said.
“Some governors believe Wike overreaches and lacks favour with powerful elements within the Tinubu administration.”
Another party insider disclosed that assurances of APC backing emboldened Fubara to confront Wike’s dominance in the state.
The crisis spilled into the open on Monday when APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, and Wike traded sharp words over Rivers politics.
Basiru urged Wike to resign his ministerial post and stop interfering in APC affairs, insisting that the former Rivers governor is not a member of the ruling party.
He warned party officials against taking sides in the Rivers crisis and reiterated support for Fubara, whom he praised for governance performance.
Wike, however, fired back during a visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area, warning Basiru to stay away from Rivers politics and describing the state as a political no-go area.
In a statement personally signed later on Monday, Basiru dismissed Wike’s remarks, stressing that only APC members could influence party decisions.
“I am the National Secretary of the APC,” Basiru said. “He has no locus to interfere in our affairs.”
The political rift traces back to the breakdown of a post-crisis agreement reportedly brokered by President Bola Tinubu, which allegedly included a clause barring Fubara from seeking re-election.
That understanding has since unravelled following Fubara’s defection from the PDP to the APC on December 9, a move widely seen as a strategic realignment ahead of 2027.
The defection was followed by similar moves by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, positioning Fubara as the APC’s leading figure in the oil-rich state.
Backing Wike, APC South-South Vice Chairman, Victor Giadom, insisted that Fubara could not succeed politically without the minister’s support, comments that further inflamed party tensions.
Meanwhile, the crisis widened with the resignation of the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof Ngozi Odu, and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, from the PDP.
Odu has since registered with the APC in her ward, while Anabraba cited personal reasons for quitting the opposition party.
Prominent Rivers elder and Niger Delta activist, Ann Kio-Briggs, condemned Wike’s attempt to block Fubara’s ambition, describing it as a threat to peace and democratic choice in the state.
“The minister does not own Rivers State,” she said. “The people must be allowed to decide.”
A former Lagos APC spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, urged restraint, warning that the escalating feud was a needless distraction for the ruling party.
Also read: Adeleke Confident of Victory as Re-election Nears
As the APC backing Fubara 2027 gathers momentum, political observers say the Rivers contest is shaping up as one of the most decisive battlegrounds ahead of the next general elections.
