New details have come to light regarding how Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara lost the backing of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress leadership during his ongoing political battle with Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and his predecessor.
According to high-ranking APC officials who participated in mediation efforts, the rift deepened because the governor supposedly failed to honor the terms of their reconciliation agreement.
An anonymous member of the party’s National Working Committee disclosed that the APC hierarchy intentionally withheld a formal reception for Fubara following his defection because the move lacked Wike’s approval.
The party official stated:“The President handed over the political structure of Rivers State to Wike. Fubara joined the party to outsmart Wike in a desperate move to secure a second term. But the party leadership already knew the body language of the President. That was why no official reception was given to Fubara after he joined the APC,”
The official further noted:“The President advised him to focus on governance and leave Wike alone for party politics. The President intervened and saved him from the first impeachment plot against him (Fubara).
“On the second impeachment plot as well, the President told him to focus on governance and leave Wike alone. It was at that time that all parties agreed that he would not go for a second term. Fubara agreed to that, and that is why Wike always says, ‘Agreement is agreement.’
“But once the governor settles in Port Harcourt, some people would advise him against Wike again, telling him he is the governor and the leader of the party,”
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This insider emphasized that the APC leadership could not endorse Fubara’s re-election plans since it violated the brokered terms and lacked the President’s backing.
The source suggested that certain APC heavyweights might have given the governor false hope regarding party backing.
The source added:“Even on this ongoing governorship matter, I am aware the party leadership told him that the Presidency and the Governors’ Forum were not on his side. Fubara had even told some party officials that he would not attend the governorship screening exercise, only for him to appear before the screening committee in Abuja.
“The body language of the President is that Wike is in charge of Rivers politics, and Fubara should have seen that. Fubara did not have input in the screening committee of the APC for Rivers House of Assembly and National Assembly aspirants. All his candidates were disqualified.
“The structure of the Rivers APC primary was given to Wike. Wike is in control of Rivers politics and, until something changes, he will continue to hold sway in the state,”
Another anonymous APC leader based in Abuja stated that the screening committee, overseen by National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, denied Fubara clearance.
The leader remarked:“What I know is that Fubara was not cleared by the APC screening committee to contest. That was why he left in anger. If you remember, he stormed out of the screening venue angrily. He had a very bitter look on his face. He was not cleared; he was told he could not contest under the party. That means he was disqualified from the race.
“That he withdrew from the race is face-saving. A person who has been disqualified cannot participate in the primary. That was what happened,”
A supporter of the FCT minister corroborated that the governor was blocked from running, confidently asserting that “Wike has sealed the governor’s fate.”
The ally explained that the APC was simply adhering to the previous consensus, stating:“That is not power play or wickedness; it is simply honouring an agreement that Fubara himself agreed to. He would not have escaped impeachment if not for the President and Wike himself. Part of the agreement to settle the recurrent political crisis in Rivers then was that he would not contest for a second term, and he agreed.
“APC is just working towards that agreement, and that was why Fubara was not cleared to contest,”
Governor Fubara switched allegiance from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on December 9, 2025.
He subsequently visited the APC National Secretariat on December 17, promising to work alongside the party to secure victories for President Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 elections.
At the time, National Chairman Yilwatda praised Fubara’s defection as a major milestone that unified the South-South zone with the ruling party ahead of 2027.
Even so, the party refrained from hosting a formal welcome event for him.
This stood in sharp contrast to other former PDP governors—such as Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), and Peter Mbah (Enugu)—who were formally ushered into the APC by a high-level team usually headed by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The absence of a similar reception for Fubara served as an early sign of his diminished status within the party.
In February, Yilwatda defended the delay on TVC, attributing it to “regional sensitivities.”
The APC chairman noted:“We have Kano we’re preparing for. When you’re dealing in politics, we opted to clear the North first because Ramadan is coming and most of the people in the North are Muslims.
“We have a lot of communities in the North that are sensitive to the issue of Ramadan. So, we pleaded that we clear the northern governors who have to come to the APC first before going to the South, where we don’t have Ramadan as an issue.
“So, these are strategies and also an acknowledgement of the sensitivity of each community. That’s the reason we took that decision. It has nothing to do with Siminalayi Fubara not having authority.”
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Records show that Fubara has managed to survive three separate impeachment attempts as the political feud shifted intensities over time.
The initial attempt occurred on October 30, 2023, just months into his term. Roughly 24 legislators signed an impeachment notice, sparking unrest at the Port Harcourt Assembly complex, which involved demonstrations, tear gas, and a fire in the chamber.
That move was halted in December 2023 following a peace pact mediated by President Tinubu.
The conflict peaked again in March 2025 when lawmakers under Speaker Martin Amaewhule sought to remove Fubara and his deputy, raising tensions across the state.
In response, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the legislature for six months, while installing retired Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the administrator. This emergency order was lifted on September 17, 2025.
The third attempt to remove the governor began on January 8, 2026, when lawmakers initiated formal proceedings based on claims of gross misconduct.
Despite being out of the country at the time, President Tinubu stepped in once more.
