National Chairperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has affirmed Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the leader of the APC in Rivers State. This came amid ongoing rivalry with the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking on Friday, 3rd January, 2026, during Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme, Yilwatda stated: “Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, but he would need to coordinate with every other person in the state.”
He emphasized that APC governors nationwide lead their state chapters but must ensure inclusivity.
Yilwatda conditioned the party’s backing for Fubara’s potential 2027 reelection bid on winning the primaries.
“The same rule applies to every state, even Governor Fubara will have to go through the normal process if he seeks the ticket,” he said.
The APC National leader cited Ekiti State as an example where the governor competed and emerged victorious.
He therefore dismissed Wike, the former Rivers governor and currently a member of PDP, from party discussions.
“If we are discussing elections, we will not be discussing with Nyesom Wike. He is not a member of our party. Wike is in the PDP.”
Fubara, the elected governor of Rivers in 2023 through the platform of PDP was sworn in on May 29 of the same year before defecting to the APC in December 2025.
His first term ends May 29, 2027, with a potential of seeking reelection in the next election.
The tension escalated when Fubara was declared the leader of APC in Rivers State, a move strongly refuted by Wike who claimed the leadership despite his PDP affiliation.
The alarm stemmed from Wike’s allegations that Fubara violated a second peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025.
This followed a crisis that broke out in the state in March 2025, prompting Tinubu to declare emergency rule, as the latter suspended Fubara and all other elected officials for six months before they were returned in September after the emergency ended.