The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why it is yet to formally welcome Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on TVC News on Sunday, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said the delay is a deliberate political strategy aimed at managing regional and religious sensitivities, particularly in northern Nigeria.
According to Yilwatda, the party prioritised planned political activities in northern states ahead of Ramadan, noting that most northern communities are Muslim and require careful scheduling.
“We have Kano we’re preparing for. In politics, we opted to clear the north first because Ramadan is coming, and most of the people in the north are Muslims,” Yilwatda said.
He added that the APC decided to formally receive northern governors before turning attention to the South, where Ramadan does not pose similar logistical concerns.
“We have a lot of communities in the north that are sensitive to Ramadan. So we pleaded that we clear the northern governors who have to come to the APC first before going to the south,” he explained.
The APC chairman dismissed claims that the delay was linked to any lack of authority or political control by Fubara in Rivers State.
“It has nothing to do with Siminalayi Fubara not having authority. These are strategies that acknowledge the sensitivity of each community,” Yilwatda said.
Reacting to suggestions that Fubara is struggling to assert leadership within the APC in Rivers, Yilwatda challenged critics to provide evidence of any formal complaint.
“I’m the national chairman. Who complained to you? What petition? The media should not create a petition and become the petitioner, the judge, and the jailer at the same time,” he stated.
Addressing remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, about political actors in Rivers aligning under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, Yilwatda clarified that such alignments were outside APC’s official party structures.
“Support groups are separate from party activities. Is it under the office of the chairman of the party?” he asked.
Political Context
The controversy surrounding Fubara’s leadership follows a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State triggered by his fallout with Wike after the 2023 power struggle.
The dispute, which paralysed governance at one point, led President Bola Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in the state.
Fubara officially defected from the PDP to the APC on December 9, 2025, a move widely interpreted as part of his strategy for the 2027 governorship election and an effort to consolidate power after his break with Wike.
However, Wike — a key political force in Rivers despite not being an APC member — has publicly disputed claims that Fubara’s defection automatically makes him the party leader in the state, insisting that grassroots structures still determine control.
The rivalry has intensified political tensions, with competing factions within the APC and PDP engaging in impeachment threats, negotiations and power-balancing efforts ahead of 2027.
