Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has dismissed reports suggesting that he has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that he remains a member of the ruling party.
Fubara made the clarification on Wednesday while inspecting the reconstructed Rivers State Psychiatric Hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, which has now been upgraded into a general hospital.
Recent speculations had claimed that the governor was considering leaving the APC for another political platform following reports that he was allegedly rejected by the party’s screening committee ahead of the governorship primaries.
The rumours intensified after reports emerged that Fubara walked out of the APC screening venue without speaking to journalists.
However, addressing the issue, the governor said there was no truth to the claims about his defection.
According to him, media reports and public interpretations of recent political developments have been misleading.
Fubara stressed that he remains committed to the APC and would continue supporting the party despite the ongoing political tension surrounding his second-term ambition.
As the APC governorship primaries draw closer in Rivers State, uncertainty continues to surround the governor’s chances of securing the party’s ticket for the 2027 election.
There are growing claims that former Rivers governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is opposed to Fubara’s re-election bid following the prolonged political feud between both leaders.
The disagreement between the governor and the FCT minister has continued to shape the political atmosphere in Rivers State.
During a recent televised media chat, Wike stated that he was not politically aligned with Fubara and had not endorsed any candidate for the governorship race.
He also accused the governor of slowing governance activities in the state over alleged delays in presenting the state budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, Kingsley Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives and ally of Wike, has emerged as one of the APC governorship aspirants in Rivers State after appearing before the party’s screening committee.
Chinda, who currently serves under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has yet to officially announce any defection to the APC, although his appearance before the screening panel has fuelled political speculation.
Another APC governorship aspirant linked to Wike is Dax George-Kelly, Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency.
Reports have also indicated that several loyalists of Governor Fubara seeking seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly were reportedly not cleared for the APC primaries, while allies of the FCT minister were approved.
The political crisis between Fubara and Wike began after disagreements over control of Rivers State’s political structure and eventually escalated into a major conflict within the state.
The crisis contributed to the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu in 2025 following repeated impeachment attempts against the governor by lawmakers loyal to Wike.
Although President Tinubu later intervened and brokered peace agreements between both camps, tensions have continued to linger within the state’s political landscape.
