A few hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara announced his withdrawal from the Rivers State APC gubernatorial primary race, documents obtained by Spear News Nigeria show that the Governor was disqualified from contesting the election.
According to a screening report prepared by the APC Gubernatorial Screening Committee, Governor Fubara’s name was conspicuously missing from the list of cleared aspirants for Rivers State.
The document, which was signed by Committee Secretary and Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Barr. Emeka Okafor, listed only three aspirants as cleared to contest: Kingsley Chinda, Dr. George Alabo (also known as Alabo George Kelly), and Tonye Cole.
While the report did not explicitly state the grounds for Fubara’s disqualification, party insiders suggest that issues related to membership validity and his strained relationship with his erstwhile political godfather, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, led to his disqualification.
Fubara, who announced his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race on Wednesday, cited personal reasons and the need to avoid unnecessary distractions. He stated that his decision was voluntary and in the interest of peace.
However, the newly obtained screening document suggests that Fubara’s resignation from the race was a preemptive move after learning of his disqualification.
Sources close to the Governor confided that he chose to step down publicly to avoid the humiliation of being barred by the party, framing his exit as a strategic withdrawal rather than an electoral disqualification.
The APC document shows that three aspirants were cleared to run for the Rivers State governorship ticket.
Kingsley Chinda, the current Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, was cleared. He is widely regarded as a staunch loyalist of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and is now considered the frontline candidate following the withdrawal of other Wike-backed aspirants.
Dr. George Alabo, also known as Alabo George Kelly, a former Commissioner for Works under then-Governor Nyesom Wike, was also cleared. However, recent reports indicate he later withdrew from the race, consolidating support behind Kingsley Chinda.
Tonye Cole, the APC gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general elections, was cleared as well. His clearance suggests he remains a significant figure in the party’s Rivers State structure, though he has not been publicly aligned with either the Wike or Fubara camps in the current internal crisis.
The political fallout between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the FCT Minister, has deeply polarised Rivers State politics. The rift, which became public in late 2023, stems from a battle for control of the state’s political structure and resources.
For months, the state assembly was divided, with lawmakers loyal to Wike attempting to impeach Fubara. The crisis necessitated presidential intervention, leading to a peace pact that has since shown signs of collapse.
Fubara’s decision to join the APC gubernatorial race was initially seen as an attempt to build a platform independent of Wike’s formidable Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure.
However, the screening document now confirms that Wike’s influence within the APC Rivers chapter effectively neutralised Fubara’s ambition before the race even began.
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