By George OPARA
In the days leading to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) primaries for State House of Assembly and National Assembly, reelection aspirants who are loyal to Barr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, are presently navigating high-stakes scenario amid the emerged party power dynamics in the state.
In the political calculus, Fubara is the bride, with serving senators, members of the House of Representatives, and state lawmakers seeking his approval.
Insider sources said they are scrambling for political accommodation, lobbying and sending trusted allies to Governor Fubara, vowing loyalty to a leader they had once mocked as a political paperweight.
Besides the placement of party structure authority in the hands of the APC governors as determinants of party candidates, Spear News gathered that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the chairman of the APC screening committee, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, to approve only candidate lists signed by Fubara.
Lately, however, Wike was said to have called a meeting of his political loyalists to address the emergency at his Abuja residence, where he had
reportedly directed the lawmakers who had defected from the PDP to return instantly for automatic tickets, citing their grassroots influence.
But many of the affected legislators seeking second term mandates and new aspirants, are unwilling to again, dump the APC for PDP.
Spear News recalls that
the lawmakers had defected on the floor of the state legislature for the second time in three years, moving from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to APC.
It was Speaker, Martins Amaewhule who led the group into the APC, while the remaining 10 lawmakers stayed in the PDP to play opposition role on the later defection of Fubara to the APC on December 5, 2025.
Wike, Tinubu strained relationship
Reliable Sources said despite efforts by Wike to maintain alignment with Tinubu,
the topical upstage may not be unconnected with the PDP’s reported resolution to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South South region, a move, analysts averred is dicey and capable to dictate new political alignments and permutations in nationally in the forthcoming general polls.
Also, the situation is said to be further complicated as key presidential allies like Governor Uzodimma and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu are seemingly having contest of strategic personality superiority, making the path clearer for Fubara’s second term bid.
Yet, unrelenting Wike said the prospects for Fubara’s reelection is dark, vowing to exit from politics instead.
As opposition against Hon. Kingsley Chinda, a House of Representatives member from the Rivers Ikwerre extraction mounts to succeed Fubara, Wike is believed to be hunting for a challenger with a credible political capital to defeat Fubara from the riverine Ijaw areas as part of a broader strategy.
The configuration of party candidates, political pundits said, would become clearer on the countdown to the APC primaries.
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