Politics
2027: The Sins of Fubara, why he was dumped, disqualified from contesting
Fresh facts have emerged on how the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, lost the backing of President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the prolonged power tussle with his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Credible leaders of the APC involved in efforts to resolve the crisis between Fubara and Wike that the governor fell out with the President and the ruling party after allegedly reneging on reconciliation terms.
A member of the National Working Committee of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the APC leadership refused to officially welcome Fubara into the party after his defection because he did not have Wike’s blessings.
“The President handed over the political structure of Rivers State to Wike. Fubara joined the party to outsmart Wike in a desperate move to secure a second term. But the party leadership already knew the body language of the President. That was why no official reception was given to Fubara after he joined the APC,” the party official said.
He added, “The President advised him to focus on governance and leave Wike alone for party politics. The President intervened and saved him from the first impeachment plot against him (Fubara).
“On the second impeachment plot as well, the President told him to focus on governance and leave Wike alone. It was at that time that all parties agreed that he would not go for a second term. Fubara agreed to that, and that is why Wike always says, ‘Agreement is agreement.’
“But once the governor settles in Port Harcourt, some people would advise him against Wike again, telling him he is the governor and the leader of the party,” the APC NWC member added.
The source said it was impossible for the APC leadership to support Fubara’s second-term ambition, knowing it was against the settlement terms and that Tinubu was not in support.
The insider added that Fubara might have been misled by some APC chieftains who assured him of the party’s support.
“Even on this ongoing governorship matter, I am aware the party leadership told him that the Presidency and the Governors’ Forum were not on his side. Fubara had even told some party officials that he would not attend the governorship screening exercise, only for him to appear before the screening committee in Abuja.
“The body language of the President is that Wike is in charge of Rivers politics, and Fubara should have seen that. Fubara did not have input in the screening committee of the APC for Rivers House of Assembly and National Assembly aspirants. All his candidates were disqualified.
“The structure of the Rivers APC primary was given to Wike. Wike is in control of Rivers politics and, until something changes, he will continue to hold sway in the state,” he added.
It was also gathered that Fubara was not cleared by the party’s governorship screening committee headed by its National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.
“What I know is that Fubara was not cleared by the APC screening committee to contest. That was why he left in anger. If you remember, he stormed out of the screening venue angrily. He had a very bitter look on his face. He was not cleared; he was told he could not contest under the party. That means he was disqualified from the race.
“That he withdrew from the race is face-saving. A person who has been disqualified cannot participate in the primary. That was what happened,” the party leader, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity on Friday, said.
One of the loyalists of the FCT minister also confirmed that Fubara was barred from contesting by the APC, boasting that “Wike has sealed the governor’s fate.”
According to the ally, who also spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, the APC was “simply following the agreement that Fubara would not contest for a second term.”
“That is not power play or wickedness; it is simply honouring an agreement that Fubara himself agreed to. He would not have escaped impeachment if not for the President and Wike himself. Part of the agreement to settle the recurrent political crisis in Rivers then was that he would not contest for a second term, and he agreed.
“APC is just working towards that agreement, and that was why Fubara was not cleared to contest,” he added.
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, did not take his calls or respond to messages sent to him for comments on the matter.
How APC denied Fubara reception
Fubara officially left the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC on December 9, 2025.
The governor thereafter visited the National Secretariat of the APC on December 17, where he pledged to collaborate with the party to ensure President Tinubu and the APC secured victory across all levels in 2027.
The National Chairman of the APC, Yilwatda, described Fubara’s defection as significant, noting that it completed the alignment of the South-South region with the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite this, the party refused to organise an official reception for Fubara after his defection.
All the PDP governors, including Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Douye Diri (Bayelsa) and Peter Mbah (Enugu), who joined the APC, were officially received into the party by a delegation usually led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
But Fubara was not given such a reception, a development that had earlier signalled the governor’s low standing in the party.
Yilwatda had, in February, explained that Fubara had not been formally welcomed into the party because of “regional sensitivities.”
The APC chairman, while speaking on TVC, 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.
“So, these are strategies and also an acknowledgement of the sensitivity of each community. That’s the reason we took that decision. It has nothing to do with Siminalayi Fubara not having authority.”
Surviving three impeachment plots
Findings revealed that Fubara survived three impeachment plots as the political crisis in the state escalated at different times.
The first impeachment plot against the governor began on October 30, 2023, barely five months after he assumed office.
About 24 lawmakers reportedly signed the impeachment notice, a move that triggered chaos at the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, including protests, teargas and a fire incident at the Assembly chamber.
That 2023 attempt was later withdrawn in December 2023 after President Tinubu brokered a peace deal between the factions.
During the peak of the political crisis between Fubara and Wike in March 2025, the lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, also moved to impeach Fubara and his deputy, which then generated tension in the state.
Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months.
The President appointed a retired Rear Admiral, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the state administrator.
However, Tinubu announced the end of the state of emergency on September 17, 2025.
S’South youths, groups reject Fubara’s withdrawal
Meanwhile, several groups have expressed disappointment over Fubara’s withdrawal from the 2027 elections.
Amongst them is long standing supporter of the governor and pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Anabs Sara-Igbe, who expressed sadness over Fubara’s action.
Sara-Igbe, an elder statesman, blamed Wike for the development.
He said, “I have never seen this happen where one man thinks he can do and undo and nobody can challenge him. Rivers people, shine your eyes. Rivers people wake up from your slumber. Rivers people, it is time for us to fight and take back our state.”
Similarly, the Chairman Emeritus of Ijaw Youths Council, Eastern Zone, Ibim Ibiwari, said Ijaw people were disappointed with the decision of the governor to step down from the political contest.
He said, “It breaks my heart because the Ijaw people from 1999 have supported various gubernatorial aspirants and they become governor.
“From our leader, our father, Sir Peter Odili to Sir Celestine Omehia, then to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and we gave the totality to the serving FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike you as media people are all aware that a lot of Ijaw people paid the supreme price with their lives in Abonema and other Ijaw communities to ensure that he came into power through our mother, Patience Jonathan, wife of the former President.”
Ibiwari said Fubara’s withdrawal has left many of his supporters frustrated and in a “mourning mood.”
“I could not even take my son to school when it dawned on me that the governor was no longer contesting the election,” he added.
Ibiwari raised concerns about the projects initiated by the Fubara administration including the reconstruction of the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach and the Creek Road market and appealed to the governor to complete the projects.
Also speaking, the National President of the South-South Youths Initiative, Savior Imeabe, condemned the governor’s decision to step down despite what he described as overwhelming support from the people.
He said the governor should know that he holds the office in trust for the people of the state and that such a decision was not his alone to make and urged him to reconsider his decision, which he described as disappointing.
Imeabe called on the governor not to make the mistake of handing over the state to people without the interest of Rivers at heart.
On his part, a former aide to Fubara, Chris Itamunola, described the governor’s withdrawal as unacceptable, saying his reason for maintaining peace in the state was not tenable, especially as the state had been in a political crisis for over three years.
He stated, “What peace? For the past three years, almost four years, have we had peace? What type of peace? A peace that throws us politically into the hands of the enemy?”
The lawyer expressed dismay that the people of the riverine areas of the state had not been given the opportunity to govern the state, unlike the counterparts from the upland who ruled for two tenures of eight years.
Source: PUNCH
By Petrus Obi
Youths from the Oru area of Imo State have warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against what they described as continued attacks on the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, following the minister’s latest comments on the governor’s political ambitions.
The youths, in a statement signed by Hon Chinemerem Obi, said Wike should refrain from interfering in the internal political affairs of Imo State, insisting that the political future of Governor Uzodimma and the people of the state should be determined through democratic processes.
Their reaction followed Wike’s appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, where the minister said he would not support Uzodimma for the position of Senate President after the 2027 elections.
Wike alleged that some APC governors were attempting to influence the emergence of lawmakers who would support their preferred candidate for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He specifically linked the disagreement to Uzodimma, alleging that the Imo governor was positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
According to Wike, Uzodimma’s tenure as governor would end in 2028 and he was allegedly planning to leave office, contest for the Senate and subsequently seek the Senate presidency.
Wike said he would not support the reported ambition.
The minister’s comments have drawn a fresh response from groups in Imo, with the Oru youths accusing him of turning a political disagreement into what they described as a personal campaign against the governor.
The youths said Wike’s opposition to Uzodimma’s reported Senate ambition was a political position to which he was entitled, but argued that the minister should not use his position to dictate the political choices of Imo people.
They also questioned why Wike was repeatedly focusing on Uzodimma amid the wider disagreement between him and APC governors over his proposed Rainbow Coalition.
The coalition has been promoted by Wike as a platform to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, despite Wike remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike has maintained that supporting Tinubu for president does not require politicians to support APC candidates in governorship or legislative elections.
The Oru youths said the reported ambition to become Senate President remained a political aspiration and should not be presented as an established fact.
They urged Wike to allow Imo voters and the relevant political institutions to determine who represents them at the National Assembly and who eventually emerges as Senate President.
The allegation about Uzodimma’s Senate presidency ambition has also been made publicly by APC chieftain Tajudeen Olesin, who recently claimed that the governor planned to resign before the end of his tenure, contest for the Senate and seek the Senate presidency. That claim was presented as Olesin’s assertion, rather than an announcement by Uzodimma himself.
The youths further appealed to political leaders in the Southeast to avoid statements that could deepen political divisions in the region.
They maintained that disagreements over the 2027 elections, legislative contests and political succession should be settled through democratic engagement rather than personal exchanges.
The development comes amid increasing political tension between Wike and several APC governors over the minister’s political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, a group identified as Imo Lawyers for the Defence of Democracy also called on Wike to stop what it described as personal attacks on Uzodimma, arguing that political disagreements should be addressed through dialogue and democratic institutions.
The latest controversy is expected to keep the political relationship between Wike and Uzodimma under close scrutiny as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns by some All Progressives Congress governors that the proposed Rainbow Coalition could weaken the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, Wike said the coalition was primarily focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, while allowing politicians to support candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative elections.
Wike argued that supporting Tinubu for president would not prevent politicians from backing other candidates in elections at the state and National Assembly levels.
He cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, saying the group supported Tinubu’s presidential bid while their respective parties retained their candidates for other positions.
“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail,” Wike said.
The FCT minister alleged that some APC governors were opposing the coalition because of their political interests, particularly efforts to influence the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He specifically accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, of positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
According to Wike, governors seeking to control the emergence of senators and House of Representatives members could ultimately influence the choice of the presiding officers of the National Assembly.
He alleged that politicians who failed to secure APC tickets could contest under other platforms, win their elections and refuse to support candidates favoured by the governors for the leadership of the National Assembly.
Wike also declared that he would not support Uzodimma for Senate President.
“Life or death, I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” he said.
His comments came days after APC governors declared that they would neither participate in nor support any political alliance capable of weakening the party, affecting its candidates or undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Uzodimma, who read the governors’ communique, said their support would remain exclusively for APC candidates at all levels.
Wike, however, maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was not designed to weaken or take over the APC, insisting that its primary objective was to mobilise support for Tinubu across party lines.
He also dismissed reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition as part of a political arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts. Who are… which are those states? Tell us. That they said the President agreed with me that he has conceded nine states,” Wike said.
The minister said he intended to campaign for Tinubu based on the administration’s record, citing issues such as the President’s support for state police and what he described as the devolution of resources and powers to the states.
Wike further disclosed that Tinubu was aware of the Rainbow Coalition and understood his political activities.
“As I speak to you here, Mr President knows about my concept, of the rainbow coalition…. Mr President understands me very well,” he said.
The dispute has heightened tensions within the ruling party as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, sources within the APC said that the party’s National Working Committee was working behind the scenes to broker a truce between the opposing camps.
The sources said the process was expected to advance following the return of APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, from vacation, with plans for the NWC to meet President Tinubu and discuss ways of resolving the disagreement.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu provided about ₦50 billion to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to support the expansion and upgrade of Ibadan Airport.
Wike made the disclosure on Monday during an appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout, while dismissing claims that he was the only member of the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 governors to benefit from the Tinubu administration.
According to Wike, Tinubu also extended financial support to Makinde despite their political differences.
“The president has also extended his hand of support to the governor of Oyo State by providing funds for him to expand Oyo airport with a whopping sum of 50 billion naira,” Wike said.
The minister also cited former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who he said currently serve as Nigeria’s ambassadors to Spain and Greece respectively.
Wike argued that it was therefore incorrect to suggest that he alone among the G5 governors had benefited from the Tinubu administration, saying the President had supported other members of the group in different ways.
The G5 consisted of Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom. The group opposed the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 election and backed Tinubu.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
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