According to a report by the Punch on Sunday, May 24, 2026, fresh details have emerged suggesting that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s relationship with President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress deteriorated over allegations that he failed to honour agreements reached during reconciliation efforts in the prolonged political crisis rocking Rivers State.
Sources within the ruling party disclosed that Fubara’s political troubles deepened after he allegedly attempted to reposition himself within the APC without the backing of his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. According to one senior party official, “Fubara joined the party to outsmart Wike in a desperate move to secure a second term,” a move that reportedly did not sit well with influential stakeholders who had already aligned with Wike’s political authority in Rivers.
Insiders explained that despite defecting to the APC in December 2025, Fubara was denied the elaborate official reception usually accorded to high-profile defectors. Party leaders allegedly viewed his defection with suspicion, interpreting it as a calculated attempt to sideline Wike and build independent control of the Rivers political structure ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
The source further revealed that President Tinubu had repeatedly advised Fubara to focus on governance and steer clear of political confrontation with Wike. It was gathered that interventions from the President helped shield the governor during multiple impeachment attempts, but part of the understanding reached during those interventions reportedly included Fubara stepping aside from any second-term ambition.
However, the governor was said to have ignored those expectations after receiving encouragement from some political associates, a development that allegedly caused his eventual fallout with the party leadership.
Party insiders also claimed that Fubara was denied clearance by the APC screening committee for the governorship primary, effectively shutting him out of the race. This, they said, confirmed that the party had resolved to honour earlier understandings and preserve Wike’s dominance over Rivers APC structures……See More
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