The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has clarified that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is the recognised leader of the party in the state, citing clear provisions of the APC Constitution.
Yilwatda made the clarification on Friday night while speaking on Channels Television, explaining that the party’s constitution designates governors of APC-controlled states as leaders of the party in their respective states without exception.
“In all the states, we have the state governors that lead the party in their respective states,” he said.
However, the APC chairman stressed that such leadership must be exercised with inclusiveness, noting that governors are expected to carry all stakeholders along. He added that Governor Fubara has already committed to inclusive leadership and is demonstrating it in Rivers State.
“At the same time, we tell the governors who have leaders at the national level to respect inclusion,” Yilwatda said.
On Governor Fubara’s political future, Yilwatda said the APC would support his second-term ambition if he emerges as the party’s candidate through a credible primary process conducted by duly accredited delegates.
“If Siminalayi emerges as the candidate of the APC in Rivers State, I will stand by him,” he stated.
Yilwatda’s comments come amid speculation over party leadership dynamics in Rivers State following Fubara’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in December 2025.
Meanwhile, the PDP in Rivers State has suspended its Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr Nname Robinson Ewor, over alleged alignment with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who has been expelled from the party.
The suspension was announced after an emergency meeting of the Rivers State Caretaker Committee held in Port Harcourt on Saturday. The party said Ewor’s recent conduct and public statements were harmful to its stability and future in the state.
According to the PDP, the meeting reviewed Ewor’s political actions and comments on the ongoing crisis in Rivers State. Ewor had accused Governor Fubara of misleading party leaders during the political standoff, claiming the governor initially appeared ready to confront Wike politically but later withdrew.
He also alleged that party stakeholders were abandoned after being led to believe a political confrontation was inevitable, adding that tensions worsened after Fubara defected to the APC in December 2025.
The situation reportedly escalated when Ewor was seen in the company of Wike during one of the former Rivers governor’s “thank you” visits to local government areas—an appearance that sparked outrage within the PDP and was viewed as open defiance.
The PDP announced Ewor’s suspension both as Caretaker Chairman and as a party member, citing actions capable of weakening its structure in the oil-rich state.
Following the decision, Chief Ogbam Ojimah, Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, was appointed Acting Chairman, while Dr Baribefu Fidunko was named Acting Secretary. Addressing journalists, Ojimah reaffirmed the party’s loyalty to the national leadership under Dr Kabiru Turaki, stressing that Wike remains expelled and has no authority to interfere in PDP affairs in Rivers State.
Reading from the resolutions of the meeting, Ojimah said the committee disassociated itself from all statements and actions attributed to Ewor, formally suspended him, and warned party members and the public against engaging with him in any official capacity.
Despite the internal divisions and shifting political loyalties, the PDP leadership said it remains committed to repositioning the party for competitive elections and effective service delivery in Rivers State.
Governor Fubara, who announced his defection to the APC in December, said the move was necessary to fully support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that his political survival was tied to the President’s intervention.
