The All Progressives Congress screening committee gave Governor Siminalayi Fubara a chilly welcome on Wednesday as it assessed candidates eyeing the Rivers governorship in 2027, while associates of former governor Nyesom Wike sailed through the process with apparent ease.
The tension at the screening venue reflected the deep fracture within Rivers APC, where Fubara and Wike, once allies, have locked horns since the governor took office in 2023. The committee's demeanour toward Fubara's camp signalled that the Wike faction maintains considerable sway within the party machinery at the national level.
Several aspirants linked to Wike appeared before the screening committee and completed the exercise without the hostile questioning that greeted Fubara's representatives. Sources close to the screening said the Wike-aligned candidates faced softball questions and smooth proceedings, a stark contrast to the grilling administered to those associated with the sitting governor.
The cold shoulder extended to Fubara's supporters who attended to observe the process. Party officials allegedly restricted their access and movement within the screening venue, a signal observers read as deliberate marginalisation of the governor's faction. The governor himself did not attend, but his political machinery sent representatives to monitor proceedings.
This development exposes the unresolved battle for control of Rivers APC ahead of the 2027 election cycle. Wike, who left the Peoples Democratic Party to join APC in 2023, retained his political structure and grassroots machinery even after Fubara's victory. The two men fell out over resource distribution, political patronage, and influence within the state, with Wike accusing Fubara of sidelining him despite his contributions to the governor's election.
The APC screening committee's apparent tilt toward the Wike camp suggests that at the national level, the party has not yet resolved which faction to back for 2027. Some political analysts interpret the cold reception given to Fubara's allies as a negotiating tactic, designed to pressure the governor into making concessions to Wike before the primary elections.
Rivers APC has been volatile since the 2023 general elections, with both camps filing court cases against each other and competing for recognition as the authentic party structure. The national leadership has tried managing the crisis but has largely allowed the two factions to operate separately, each claiming legitimacy.
The screening will conclude this week, with the full list of cleared candidates expected by Friday. The APC national headquarters will then set a date for the primary election, where candidates will jostle for the party's gubernatorial ticket. How the committee treats the final candidates from both camps will indicate whether the national party intends to mediate the Rivers dispute or let the primary become another battleground.
