The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has not yet been officially welcomed into the party after his defection.
In an interview on TVC on Sunday, APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda stated that the delay is part of a strategic plan to manage regional sensitivities, particularly in northern states.
Explaining the party’s schedule of formal receptions, Yilwatda said, “We have Kano we’re preparing for. When you’re dealing in politics, we opted to clear the north first because Ramadan is coming and most of the people in the north are Muslims.
“We have a lot of communities in the north that are sensitive to the issue of Ramadan. So we pleaded that we clear the northern governors who have to come to the APC first before going to the south, where we don’t have Ramadan as an issue.”
He stressed that the delay has nothing to do with Fubara lacking authority.
“So these are strategies and also acknowledge the sensitivity of each community. That’s the reason we took that decision. It has nothing to do with Siminalayi Fubara not having authority,” he added.
Speaking on claims that Fubara appeared unable to assert control as the APC leader in Rivers State, Yilwatda challenged the premise of the question, demanding evidence of any internal complaint.
“Is that what you’re told? I’m the national chairman. Who complained to you? What petition? I want you to give me one petition. Has he complained to you?
“When somebody has not complained, and we’ve not seen a physical petition, the media should not create a petition. And they become the petitioners, the judge, and the jailer at the same time,” he said.
When the interviewer brought up comments made by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike concerning political actors in Rivers State banding together under President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, Yilwatda stated that such support organizations were different from the APC’s formal institutions.
“Support groups are separate from party activities. Is it under the office of the chairman of the party?” he said.
The political backdrop of Fubara’s leadership questions originates from Rivers State’s long-running crisis.
Fubara’s relationship with his predecessor, Wike, deteriorated following their 2023 power battle, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in the state.
Fubara publicly switched from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on December 9, 2025, in what was largely interpreted as part of his ambition for a second term in 2027 and an attempt to shore up support following his feud with Wike.
Wike, who remains a powerful political figure in Rivers despite not being an APC member, has publicly challenged the notion that Fubara’s defection automatically makes him the state’s party leader, arguing that grassroots control and party structures—which his supporters continue to occupy in part—determine leadership.
The dynamic has fueled a bigger political crisis, with competing factions within the APC and PDP in Rivers pursuing impeachment proceedings, negotiating, and attempting to stabilize the situation ahead of the 2027 elections.
