The All Progressives Congress (APC) has clarified that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara was neither disqualified nor forced out of its governorship primary race, insisting that he voluntarily withdrew after successfully passing the party’s screening process.
APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to Yilwatda, Fubara duly purchased the party’s nomination forms, appeared before the screening committee, and was cleared to contest before later deciding to step down ahead of the primaries. He maintained that the governor’s withdrawal was entirely a personal decision.
“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 claims that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, influenced the process or played any role in Fubara’s withdrawal, stressing that Wike is not a member of the APC.
Earlier, Fubara had announced his withdrawal from the APC governorship primary, explaining that the decision was taken in the interest of peace, stability, and unity in Rivers State ahead of next year’s election.
The governor stated that his decision was not borne out of weakness or fear, but out of conviction and sacrifice for the progress of the state, while reaffirming his commitment to serving the people of Rivers State until the end of his tenure.
Meanwhile, Wike on Monday reacted to the political developments in Rivers State, criticising Fubara’s withdrawal from the governorship race and backing the emergence of House of Representatives member Kingsley Chinda as the party’s candidate.
Speaking during an inspection tour of infrastructure projects in Abuja, Wike revealed that President Bola Tinubu had intervened in the crisis through a political arrangement aimed at maintaining peace in the state. He alleged that Fubara agreed to drop his second-term ambition in exchange for the suspension of impeachment threats by the Rivers State House of Assembly.