The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was not disqualified from its governorship primary but voluntarily walked away after passing the party’s screening.
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said Fubara bought the party’s nomination forms, appeared for screening and was cleared before he suddenly withdrew from the race.
Yilwatda spoke on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to him, Fubara’s decision to step down from the Rivers APC governorship primary was personal and not forced by the party.
“He pulled out; he stepped down. It is personal to him.
“He bought the forms, came for screening, passed the screening, and we were waiting for the primaries before he opted to step down,” Yilwatda said.
The APC chairman also dismissed suggestions that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, influenced the outcome of the Rivers APC primary.
Asked whether Wike had a hand in the process or in Fubara’s failure to secure the APC ticket, Yilwatda said the former Rivers governor was not a member of the ruling party.
“Wike is not in our party. He is in PDP,” he said.
Fubara had earlier announced his withdrawal from the APC governorship primary, saying he wanted to prioritise peace, stability and unity in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
His withdrawal, however, raised questions because of his known political history with Wike, his former political godfather.
Yilwatda also spoke on the disqualification of some aspirants after the APC released several screening lists for legislative and governorship hopefuls ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the party’s rules were clear that anyone seeking to contest on the APC platform must be a financial member of the party.
“Our party guidelines state that before you are qualified to contest for any position, you must be a financial member of the party.
“The constitution of the party says you must have evidence of paying your dues before you can contest, be voted for, or be nominated.
“If somebody has not paid his dues and has no proof of being a financial member, he stands disqualified. You must be a member of APC,” he said.
On the emergence of Kingsley Chinda as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers, Yilwatda said Chinda became eligible after defecting to the ruling party.
Chinda, a House of Representatives member and former minority leader, later secured the APC governorship ticket in the state.
Yilwatda said the APC does not operate a waiver system, but added that anyone who properly joins the party enjoys the same rights as other members.
“He defected. Our party has no waiver system.
“Even if you decamp to our party today, you can enjoy equal rights with every other member once you are properly registered,” he said.
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