APC Endorses Fubara’s 2027 Re-election Bid as Wike’s Influence in Rivers Weakens

APC Endorses Fubara’s 2027 Re-election Bid as Wike’s Influence in Rivers Weakens

In a significant political maneuver that suggests a potential marginalization of former governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially endorsed Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for a second term in office.

APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru urged Rivers residents to deliver massive votes for both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Fubara in the upcoming elections, describing the governor’s recent defection to the ruling party as beneficial to both sides.

“The only way you can compensate the governor and our party is to continue to vote for the APC in all elections,” Basiru told party supporters during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in Elimgbu on Monday.

Fubara’s switch to the APC has consolidated the ruling party’s control across all South-south states, marking a significant political realignment in a region traditionally dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party. The governor defected after months of bitter conflict with his predecessor, Wike, which sparked a legislative crisis, impeachment threats, and a presidential declaration of a six-month state of emergency.

The APC’s endorsement suggests Fubara may receive an automatic ticket for 2027, following earlier statements by ambassadorial nominee Ita Enang that defecting governors would be granted such privileges. The party’s rallying behind Fubara appears to diminish Wike’s once-dominant influence in Rivers politics, reshaping the state’s political landscape ahead of the next general elections.