APC explains delay in official welcome for Fubara

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who recently defected to the party, has yet to be formally received into its ranks.

Speaking during an interview on TVC on Sunday, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the delay was a strategic decision aimed at managing regional sensitivities, particularly in the northern part of the country.

According to him, the party decided to conclude planned receptions for northern political figures first due to the approaching Ramadan season.

“We have Kano we’re preparing for. In politics, we opted to clear the north first because Ramadan is coming and most people there are Muslims,” Yilwatda said. “We have communities that are sensitive to this period, so we thought it wise to finish activities in the north before moving to the south, where Ramadan is not an issue.”

He stressed that the postponement was not a reflection of Fubara’s standing or authority within the party.

“These are just strategies that recognise the sensitivity of each community. It has nothing to do with Siminalayi Fubara not having authority,” he added.

Responding to suggestions that the governor might be struggling to assert control as the APC leader in Rivers State, Yilwatda dismissed the claims, saying there had been no formal complaints.

“I’m the national chairman. Who has complained? Show me any petition. When there’s no complaint, the media should not create one,” he said.

On comments 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 support groups operate independently of the party’s official structures.

“Support groups are separate from party activities. They are not under the office of the party chairman,” he said.

The questions surrounding Fubara’s position come against the backdrop of a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, following a breakdown in his relationship with his predecessor, Wike, after a power struggle that began in 2023.

At the height of the crisis, President Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency in the state.

Fubara formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on December 9, 2025, a move widely interpreted as part of his strategy to secure a second term in 2027 and strengthen his political base after falling out with Wike.

Despite the defection, Wike, who remains influential in the state’s political landscape, has argued that leadership of the party depends on control of grassroots structures rather than formal alignment.

The rivalry has deepened divisions within both the APC and PDP in Rivers, with factions engaging in negotiations and political manoeuvres ahead of the 2027 general elections.