The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has declined to confirm whether the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, was formally screened at the party’s ongoing governorship aspirants screening exercise, deepening uncertainty over the political future of the governor amid his prolonged feud with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, on Sunday avoided giving a direct answer when journalists asked whether Mr Fubara had successfully undergone the screening process for the party’s governorship primary in Rivers State.
Responding after the exercise, Mr Basiru said the screening committee had concluded interactions with all aspirants expected before it and would submit its report in due course.
“I don’t know what you mean by ‘screen’. Anybody who appears before the screening committee, of course, is necessary as part of the process. After appearing before the screening committee, the screening committee will issue its report.
“As of now, the screening committee, having completed seeing everybody it is supposed to see, will now sit down and come out with its report. As of now, there is no report of the screening committee,” he said.
The carefully worded response has fuelled speculations over the governor’s standing within the party and whether he met the conditions required to participate in the APC governorship primary.
Fubara arrives late, exits abruptly
While several incumbent governors reportedly completed their screening exercises on Saturday without controversy, Mr Fubara was notably absent from the venue until Sunday afternoon.
The governor eventually arrived at the Plateau Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, venue of the exercise, at about 3 p.m.
Mr Fubara appeared before the APC Governorship Screening Committee chaired by the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda.
However, events after the closed-door session immediately triggered fresh concerns about the outcome of the meeting.
The governor reportedly spent about 20 minutes inside the screening room before emerging with what observers described as a visibly tense demeanour.
Mr Fubara declined to speak with journalists who had waited for hours outside the venue for comments on the exercise.
When repeatedly asked how the screening went, the governor tersely replied, “No comment,” before leaving the premises.
Wike-Fubara feud
The uncertainty surrounding Mr Fubara’s APC screening comes against the backdrop of his long-running political conflict with Mr Wike, his estranged political benefactor and predecessor as Rivers governor.
Mr Fubara emerged governor in 2023 with the backing of Mr Wike, who has played a dominant role in the politics of Rivers State for nearly a decade.
However, months after assuming office, cracks appeared in their relationship over the control of the state’s political structure, appointments and influence within the government.
The dispute rapidly escalated into one of the country’s most intense intra-party political battles, splitting the Rivers State House of Assembly into rival factions loyal to either Mr Wike or Mr Fubara.
The crisis led to impeachment threats against the governor, violent confrontations around the Assembly complex, a state of emergency in the state, and repeated interventions by political leaders and security agencies.
President Bola Tinubu later intervened and brokered a peace deal between both camps, but the truce eventually collapsed as hostilities resumed.
Several commissioners loyal to Mr Wike resigned from Mr Fubara’s cabinet, while local government administration in the state also became a major flashpoint between both camps.
The political standoff later widened into legal battles over the legitimacy of lawmakers aligned with Mr Wike after their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The Supreme Court later ruled in favour of lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike. The ruling and subsequent political manoeuvres further intensified tensions in the state.
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Mr Wike has repeatedly accused the governor of betrayal and political ingratitude, while Mr Fubara’s supporters insist the governor was resisting attempts to control his administration from outside the Government House.
The crisis has since reshaped Rivers politics, forcing realignments among political actors and creating uncertainty over the future of both camps ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Mr Fubara’s decision to seek political accommodation within the APC, the same political platform now heavily influenced by Mr Wike at the national level, has therefore generated widespread attention and speculation within political circles.
Political observers say the outcome of the APC screening process could determine not only Mr Fubara’s immediate political future but also the next phase of the power struggle between the governor and his former ally.