Fresh details have emerged on the deepening political rift between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid the prolonged power struggle involving his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
Party insiders disclosed that the relationship between Fubara and the APC leadership deteriorated after the Rivers governor allegedly failed to honour key terms of a political truce brokered during efforts to resolve the crisis rocking the state.
A member of the APC National Working Committee, who spoke anonymously, claimed that Fubara’s move to join the ruling party never enjoyed full backing because it lacked Wike’s support and was viewed as a violation of an existing political understanding.
According to the source, President Tinubu had advised Fubara to concentrate on governance while leaving the structure and control of party politics in Rivers State in the hands of Wike, who remained the dominant political figure in the state.
The insider further alleged that part of the arrangement that helped Fubara survive repeated impeachment threats included an understanding that he would not seek a second term as governor in 2027.
However, despite the agreement, Fubara was said to have continued consultations and political manoeuvres toward a re-election bid, allegedly encouraged by some APC figures who promised him support.
Sources within the party said the APC leadership eventually refused to back Fubara’s second-term ambition, citing both the earlier agreement and Tinubu’s position on the matter.
The governor was also reportedly sidelined during key political processes within the party, including the screening of governorship aspirants, where none of his loyalists allegedly made it through.
Another APC chieftain in Abuja claimed that Fubara was not cleared by the party’s governorship screening committee headed by National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.
According to the source, the governor’s eventual withdrawal from the governorship race was merely a face-saving step after his alleged disqualification by the committee.
An ally of Wike also maintained that the decision to shut out Fubara was rooted in enforcing the earlier political agreement, insisting that the governor’s political fate had effectively been sealed long before his withdrawal.
Muted reception after defection
Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in December 2025 and later visited the party’s national secretariat where he pledged support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
However, unlike several governors who defected to the ruling party and were received with elaborate ceremonies by senior APC figures, Fubara did not receive an official welcome from the party hierarchy — a development observers interpreted as a sign of his weak standing within the APC.
Although Yilwatda had at the time attributed the absence of a formal reception to “regional sensitivities,” party insiders now claim deeper political calculations informed the decision.
Impeachment crisis and Tinubu’s intervention
Fubara’s political battle with Wike triggered multiple impeachment attempts beginning in October 2023, leading to protests, heightened political tension and unrest across Rivers State.
President Tinubu later intervened to broker peace between both camps.
A second impeachment move in 2025 escalated the crisis further, resulting in the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. During the period, Fubara, his deputy and members of the state House of Assembly were suspended, while a sole administrator was appointed to oversee the affairs of the state before normalcy was restored months later.
Sources said a third impeachment plot surfaced again in January 2026 but was reportedly halted following another presidential intervention.
Backlash trails withdrawal from 2027 race
Fubara’s withdrawal from the 2027 governorship contest has continued to spark reactions from supporters and stakeholders across the Niger Delta region.
Prominent Niger Delta elder Anabs Sara-Igbe accused Wike of exerting excessive influence over the political direction of Rivers State.
Similarly, Ijaw youth leader Ibim Ibiwari described the governor’s decision as disappointing, saying many supporters felt betrayed after standing behind his administration during the crisis.
Several youth groups and former political aides have also urged Fubara to reconsider his decision, arguing that stepping aside weakens the political aspirations of both Rivers people and the wider Niger Delta region.
Despite the backlash, APC insiders insist the party’s actions remain consistent with internal agreements and the prevailing political realities in Rivers State.