In a stunning turn of events on the eve of the polls, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, announced his sudden withdrawal from the APC gubernatorial race, citing a deep commitment to preserving peace, unity, and stability.
In an official statement titled “My Decision to Withdraw from the Rivers State Gubernatorial Primaries,” Fubara explained that the choice followed extensive consultations with his family, friends, and associates.
Emphasizing that leadership demands sacrifice, the governor stated that personal ambition must yield to the collective good of the people, though he firmly clarified that his exit should not be misinterpreted as an act of weakness, fear, or surrender.
Fubara’s dramatic exit follows a relentless three-year political feud with his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the control of the oil-rich state’s political structure.
Despite two failed peace deals brokered by President Bola Tinubu, the crisis escalated dramatically over the years, leading to a state of emergency in 2025 during which Fubara and other elected officials were suspended for six months.
Although Fubara returned to office last September following the termination of emergency rule, the political onslaught renewed in January when Wike-backed lawmakers launched a third attempt to impeach the governor and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
The governor’s vulnerability became undeniably apparent after a tense screening committee encounter in Abuja, which was quickly followed by the wholesale disqualification of his loyalists from the primaries.
The APC disqualified all 32 state House of Assembly aspirants backed by Fubara—including key lawmakers aligned with factional Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo—alongside federal federal lawmakers, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and Hon. Boma Goodhead, and current Senator Dr. Ipalibo Banigo-Harry.
While Fubara recently dismissed rumors of defecting to a “Plan B” party during a project inspection in Port Harcourt, a palpable anxiety grips Rivers State as rival factions await the final outcome of Thursday’s primaries.
In the meantime, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to conduct its crucial governorship primaries across the 36 states on Thursday, amid mounting political tensions over attempts to impose consensus candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While party leaders and influential stakeholders have heavily pushed for these consensus arrangements to prevent internal divisions and bitter contests, the strategy has faced fierce resistance from several aspirants determined to test their popularity at the polls.
Highly anticipated contests in Adamawa, Kwara, Plateau, and Rivers State are drawing intense scrutiny, as party members eagerly await outcomes that will inevitably redefine the political trajectory of these states.
