By Clement Abayomi
A straightforward question that has now moved from internal party discussion to a nationally recognised political issue is the question of who leads the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State. This discussion has been following Governor Siminalayi Fubara since his defection to the APC and the ensuing arguments involving prominent political actors. There have been contrasting claims, party belief systems, and political tension between the governor (Fubara) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, all of which seem to have thrown clarity into the dark. But thanks to authoritative clarifications by APC National Chairman, Professor Yilwatda, who has now come to shed light on the position of APC leader in Rivers State. As revealed in this article, his clarifications are further supported by Fubara’s declarations.
To begin with, looking at APC’s constitutional practice on state leadership, recognition is given to serving governors as leaders of the party in their respective states, a position clearly articulated by the party’s National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda.
In an interview on Channels Television, Yilwatda stated unequivocally:
“In all the states, we have the state governors. They lead the parties in their own respective states. In APC, we give that privilege to governors.”
And when directly asked whether Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, he responded:
“Yes. But he will need to coordinate every other person in the state for him to function.”
This anchors leadership authority within the office of the sitting governor. It also shows the party’s emphasis on inclusion and coordination.
In fact, Governor Fubara himself has publicly accepted leadership responsibility. He has outlined his responsibilities and political objectives as APC leader in Rivers State.
“I want to assure you that we will do everything to keep APC as the main and active progressive party in Rivers State,” he said, speaking on SYMFONI TV.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that the party is properly taken care of. Every need of the excos, every need of the party in the state becomes my responsibility,” he further declared.
Governor Fubara, from the foregoing, framed his leadership within the party’s national agenda when he added the following:
“We have a big task ahead. To preach the gospel of Mr. President, to soften the ground in this state.”
His statements reveal him as not just being the party’s administrative head in the state but also as its chief political mobiliser.
In terms of national affirmation amid political tension, Fubara’s leadership status was further reiterated in a report by ARISE NEWS, which confirms what APC National Chairman Yilwatda has formally affirmed about Fubara as the party’s leader in Rivers State, in line with party tradition. This affirmation came against the backdrop of renewed political tension between Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over control and influence in Rivers State politics.
Following his defection to the APC in December, Governor Fubara had declared himself the party’s leader in Rivers State after being presented with an APC membership card bearing number 001. This claim has prompted immediate pushback from Nyesom Wike. Wike dismissed the significance of the declaration.
“There is nothing like ‘001’ in party politics. You register in your ward, and your local government is in your ward. Everybody registers in his ward. You could be the first to register, but it does not mean that by becoming governor, you automatically become the leader of the party,” he said.
Wike maintained that the 001 designation applied only at the ward level, not across the state. However, Yilwatda’s subsequent confirmation effectively settled the matter by grounding Fubara’s leadership authority not in registration numbers but in the APC’s tradition.
Yilwatda made it clear that APC engagements in Rivers State would be conducted exclusively with Governor Fubara, not with Wike, who belongs to PDP. This attempts to clarify the APC’s operational stance.
“If we are discussing elections, we will not be discussing with Nyesom Wike. He is not a member of our party,” he said.
“We will be discussing with Siminalayi Fubara because he is a member of the All Progressives Congress right now.”
When asked whether Wike still influences APC politics in Rivers State, Yilwatda dismissed the notion, saying:
“I think we are overflogging what we don’t need to overflog. Wike is in the PDP. Allow me to discuss members of my party, not non-members. I am chairman of the APC, not chairman of all political parties in Nigeria.”
These remarks show the party’s clear boundary of authority and membership.
Yilwatda has pledged that the APC would support Fubara’s second-term ambition if he emerges through due process, despite the fact that there seem to be threats from Wike.
In all, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, by party doctrine and national confirmation, is the recognised leader of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.
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