The Federal Capital Territory’s Minister Nyesom Wike’s attempts to thwart his successor Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s 2027 reelection campaign seem to have backfired as a number of governors from the All Progressives Congress sided with the beleaguered Fubara.
The APC’s top governors’ decision to support Fubara’s campaign for a second term, which the FCT minister found offensive and is vehemently opposed to, is what sparked the renewed animosity between Wike and Fubara, according to multiple APC sources who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, according to The PUNCH.
The APC leadership’s support of Fubara, who seemed to have won over the party’s upper echelons—many of whom have been applauding his initiatives throughout the state—compounded the most recent development.
According to reports, trouble began when Wike-aligned elements tried to support Samuel Anyanwu, the former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, as the next governor of Imo State without first engaging Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Uzodimma, the chairman of the APC governors, was apparently enraged by the action. Some APC governors allegedly started organizing their colleagues against the FCT minister after the development.
The goal is to lessen the FCT minister’s political clout and influence in his home state. The fact that Wike is allegedly disliked by certain influential Tinubu administration officials made matters worse. According to a senior APC source who spoke to our correspondent last night, “some APC governors mobilized their colleagues to support Fubara, and the result is what is playing out in the form of the renewed hostilities between the two men.”
According to another insider, Fubara was willing to question the FCT minister’s political clout in the state because he felt empowered by the APC governors’ pledged support for his reelection campaign.
Wike and Ajibola Basiru, the APC National Secretary, conversed yesterday on Rivers’ politics and the minister’s adamance that he would not back Fubara for a second term.
In a statement, Basiru urged the former governor of Rivers State to step down as minister and concentrate on what he called his political fixation with Rivers State.
He insisted that his political experience had equipped him to resist intimidation and stated he was unconcerned by the minister’s alleged veiled threats.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH, Basiru had stated his support for Fubara in the midst of the current conflicts between him and Wike.
Members of the APC’s National Working Committee should not take sides in political disputes, the APC scribe added, warning South-South Chairman Victor Giadom against disparaging Fubara or any other governor.
Giadom has stated that without Wike’s backing, Fubara could not be successful in the state.
Giadom called the minister a “dependable leader,” pointing out that Wike is the sole prominent political figure in Gokana LG, where he is from. He added that Wike’s influence in the LG has remained unquestioned and is crucial for any political advancement or success in the region.
“On behalf of my brothers, I promise that the Gokana people support Wike and Tinubu, and that no one will oppose Wike’s power in Gokana.
The APC leader said, “Gokana is a ‘no-go area’ for anybody, even the so-called Governor, for him to win anything in Gokana, he must pass through Wike.” Basiru was offended by this stance and chastised Giadom in a statement for disparaging Fubara.
Speaking at the opening of the recently finished Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in the Elimgbu community in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area late last year, Basiru urged Rivers State residents to support Governor Fubara and President Bola Tinubu in the general elections of 2027 by uniting behind the ruling party.
Additionally, Basiru commended Fubara for his “excellent project delivery and commendable governance strides.”
However, Wike cautioned Basiru to avoid the politics of the state during his “thank-you” visit to Rivers State’s Oyigbo Local Government Area on Monday.
Let me caution visitors to Rivers State: after hearing that we have N600 billion, you come here, gather, and then start talking.
“Leave Rivers State alone. Please take this message to your National Secretary. Go ask those who have already done it. Please don’t assume that we will always back Mr. President. You must exercise caution when making claims.
“You are having fun in Osun today, but you are unaware of the people that put in the effort. You’re starting to speak about Rivers State. Take anything you see.
“Go ask others about their past experiences. I’m not the one who burned them, so don’t let me burn your hand. This state is off-limits. Put an end to your pointless remarks and take the one you have taken.
In a statement he personally signed on Monday, Basiru addressed Wike’s remarks, emphasizing that the minister was not an APC member and that he lacked the power to meddle in the affairs of the ruling party.
As the party’s national secretary, Basiru insisted that, in contrast to Wike’s perception, he had the power to supervise APC operations nationwide.
“Based on my records, he is not an APC member,” he stated. I fail to see what authority or bravery he needs to be meddling in APC matters.
As the APC’s national secretary, I don’t see any justification for him to criticize my actions in Rivers State or anywhere else in Nigeria.
“Despite his false idea, my activities as the party’s national secretary are not limited to Osun State.
“I oversee the APC’s National Secretariat. Therefore, unless he joins the APC, he has absolutely no right to involve me in any political action pertaining to the party.
Additionally, Basiru rejected accusations that he had a stake in Rivers State monies, calling them unfounded and at odds with his personal history.
“I strongly object to his implication that I am considering Rivers State’s N600 billion appropriations. Integrity and dedication to serve are reflected in my service records. I have never shied away from taking moral stances on any issue, regardless of whose ox is gored, and I am not an opportunist.
“As a young Nigerian, I have faced a military regime. No matter how powerful they are, no one can bully me. As National Secretary, my records are above board, and anyone who isn’t an APC member cannot question me.
Following the state’s political crisis, which was brought on by a disagreement between the governor and his predecessor, Wike, the possibility of Fubara running for a second term has remained controversial.
According to reports, a resolution was reached and signed by both sides after Tinubu’s intervention. According to numerous reports, one of the main terms of the deal was that Fubara would not run for reelection in 2027.
However, the governor, who referred to Basiru as one of the most recent additions to the APC, seemed to find new optimism in him.
In what is generally regarded as a significant political realignment ahead of the general elections in 2027, Fubara formally left the PDP and joined the ruling APC on December 9 in response to his political disputes with Wike.
The defection occurred soon after a number of influential members of the Rivers State House of Assembly joined the APC. By switching, Fubara effectively severed his long-standing connections with the PDP and established himself as a prominent member of the APC in Rivers State.
Wike has responded by accusing Fubara of breaking agreements and casting doubt on his chances of winning reelection during the last week.
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory also asserted that Fubara was not backed by the APC, claiming that he was being mislead and would not be re-elected as the governor of the oil-rich state in 2027.
Victor Giadom, the APC National Vice Chairman for the South-South Zone, backed the minister and said that Fubara would have to run against the former governor in order to win reelection.
“Finally, my advice to Nyesom Wike is that he cannot be in the Federal Executive Council of an APC government and be causing confusion within any organ or structure of the party at any level, using the leverage of that same office,” Basiru said, cautioning Wike against creating confusion within the ruling party. Resigning from his position as minister is the honorable thing to do.
The APC scribe declared that Wike’s purported attempts to undermine the Rivers State ruling party would not be accepted and that he would not be allowed to adopt PDP tactics within the APC.
Basiru went on to say that Wike’s baseless threats would not deter him.
“Let me warn Wike that he is not God and may be overplaying his political card with his veiled threat against me. I have confidence in God, and I refuse to give in to petty threats like Wike’s. When Wike and those like him were nowhere to be seen, I was among the young Nigerians who opposed military rule and fought for democracy.
“Let me also tell Nyesom Wike that he is not automatically an APC member just because he supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Mr. President has the support of millions of Nigerians who are not members of the APC, and his is no exception. He cannot infuse the PDP ethos into the APC, and his attempt to undermine our party in Rivers State will not be accepted.
Peter Ameh, the national secretary of the Coalition for United Political Party, responded to the dispute between Basiru and Wike by applauding the APC national secretary for his audacity and asserting that Wike was threatening government in Rivers State and Nigeria overall.
“The APC has used him to destroy his own party,” Ameh said. Since the APC now has the entire spectrum and organization of the party, he is no longer required. What are they using him for, then? He is no longer required. He’s finished his task. All he has to do now is join the APC and begin following Fubara, the party’s leader. He must understand that the governor is the party’s leader according to the APC’s structure and manifesto.
“I don’t cry or shed tears for Wike or Fubara.” I believe that President Tinubu has been playing this game since day one in order to ensure that he has two sets of people supporting him in River State, which is detrimental to the people of River State who are meant to benefit from excellent administration.
Dr. Chidi Lloyd, a former chairman of Emuoha LGA in Rivers State, defended Wike by arguing that the President selected him and that Basiru could not demand his resignation.
“He cannot demand the resignation of the FCT minister because he did not nominate him. I wish he could have made that statement before to the elections in 2023. How many votes did he cast for the State of Osun’s All Progressives Congress? People forget things easily, you know. They forget our origins when they come to collect bucks.
“So, it’s normal, but I don’t want to think that he said that.” However, it might be money because you have to mistreat Nyesom Wike in order to attract the governor of Rivers State’s attention. He also fails to remember how the person he is currently speaking with, who has become his friend over night, became governor.
Additionally, the minister’s supporter Chimelem Wodi rejected the APC scribe’s assertion, claiming that Wike could only be asked to step down by the President.
Since he is not even involved in his party, he has no right to speak what he has said. He therefore lacks such authority, and I believe he is attempting to incite the wrath of the Rivers people and the well-meaning state residents who unanimously supported the FCT minister to represent them.
“Once more, the FCT minister hasn’t done anything that would disqualify him from the presidency. The FCT minister has been described by Mr. President as a decent man and a performer on multiple occasions. In terms of performance, Wike has been the best minister to date. Therefore, he said, “I believe the APC secretary is just a busybody.”
Relatedly, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, the secretary to the Rivers State government, and Prof. Ngozi Odu, the deputy governor of Rivers State, have both resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party.
In the state’s Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, Odu legally enrolled as an APC member in her ward.
To raise awareness of the ongoing APC e-registration exercise, she toured the six zones of the LGA after completing her e-registration at Akabuka, Ward 8, Unit 11 on Sunday.
Owupele Benebo, the deputy governor’s office’s head of the press unit, made this announcement yesterday in Port Harcourt.
Anabraba resigned in a letter dated January 5, 2026, addressed to the PDP Chairman of Ward 1 in Rivers State’s Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.
The party’s ward office in Bob-Manuel’s Compound, Abonnema, the council headquarters in Rivers State, received the letter.
Even as he thanked the PDP for the political clout and chances he had while he was a member, the SSG stated that his choice to leave the party was entirely personal.
Desmond Akawor, a former ambassador to South Korea and coordinator of Rivers State’s Renewed Hope Ambassadors, has stated that Governor Fubara has caused the Oyigbo Local Government Area’s growth to stop.
During the FCT minister’s visit to Oyigbo LGA yesterday, Akawor made this statement.
He claimed that the local populace chose Governor Fubara because they thought he would carry on with the development of the region where Wike left off.
“Allow me to be honest. These things might never be said if they are not said now. We expected Oyigbo to gain significantly from growth when we elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“Your Excellency, Oyigbo’s progress has stopped. We haven’t advanced a single inch. I was awarded a commissioner’s spot, which is the only real advantage Oyigbo has received. Nothing significant has arrived for our people beyond that,” Akawor said.
Regarding the N600 billion in the state treasury, he cautioned that Oyigbo should not be denied access to the money.
Elders from Rivers
Ann Kio-Briggs, a well-known Niger Delta campaigner and member of the Rivers State Elders Forum, criticized Wike for his recent remarks disparaging Fubara.
Wike’s promise to prevent Fubara from running for reelection in 2027 was deemed unacceptable by Kio-Briggs as a threat to Rivers State and its citizens.
“To put it simply, Nyesom Wike was the governor of Rivers State before,” she stated. He is Rivers State’s son. Wike is a Peoples’ Democratic Party member and the Minister of the Federal Capital. No one can assert that they have 100% support in any state in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.
“Even if you put a gun to someone’s head, you won’t have 100% support; that’s not possible.”
“Rivers State is not owned by the ministry. Both Rivers State and its residents are not his property. Nobody can say that the current governor is not the governor of Rivers State, or how many people can or cannot vote for him, at least not with this preface. However, as of right now, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, has the majority of the state’s votes.
Kio-Briggs continued, “It’s almost like a threat that Siminalayi Fubara is not going to come back; it’s actually a threat to Rivers State itself, and it is also a threat to the people of Rivers State themselves, and it is not acceptable,” in response to the FCT minister’s efforts to prevent Fubara from running in the 2027 elections.
“The people of Rivers State are being subjected to this unfairly due to political ambition. The vast majority of Rivers State residents that I know and communicate with now support Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the current governor of the state.
And I am aware that peace is what the Rivers people desire. If Sir Siminalayi Fubara is ultimately the people’s choice, then only if God permits anyone may override that decision. We want peace in our state, and the people of Rivers State want to be free to choose the man or woman of their choosing.
“However, regardless of political affiliation, I believe that every true son or daughter of Rivers State should want peace and tranquility in our state.”
Joe Igbokwe, a former Lagos APC spokesman, called for unity within the party and voiced alarm at the altercation between Wike and Basiru.
“The altercations between Hon. Minister FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the National Secretary APC Nigeria, Ajibola Basiru, are totally uncalled for and unnecessary,” Igbokwe wrote in a Facebook post yesterday. It’s a pointless diversion.
“A madman will select and utilize your cap indefinitely if you take it off and discard it out of frustration. This miscommunication is completely unnecessary. Now let it go. We’ve got work to do. Everyone needs to be on deck. You disregard Wike at your own risk because he is a powerful figure in this administration. In the APC, Wike is a major asset and pillar. He served as an FCT Minister, a former governor, an LGA chairman, and a minister. He is a key figure in this administration. He can contribute a great deal.
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