Amidst threats of impeachment, governor Siminalayi Fubara’s political fortunes continue to expand in Rivers State, fueling the belief that his second term ambition come 2027 will witness a smooth sail, however the dominance and undue influence of his archenemy, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, keep declining
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
Perhaps, the best and the worst political calculations and moves in the recent times in Nigeria’s political arena were made by two political arrivals from Rivers State, Siminalyi Fubara the governor of the state and former governor Nyesom Wike now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. On the one side, the sitting governor Fubara outsmarted his predecessor, Wike, by defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he is nursing the ambition of a second term in office. Fubara’s defection to the APC has been viewed by analysts as one of the smartest political moves which has ceded the APC political structures in the state into his palms.
On the other side, Wike preferred to retain his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) membership from where he is plotting a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Incidentally, Wike has since then been sacked from the now weakened opposition PDP, leaving him without any political structures in his home state of Rivers.
Last December, Fubara left the PDP for the APC in a move that had since rattled Wike and his allies in the state who were plotting to resist the governor’s second term ambition. The defection had since made Fubara the number one member and leader of the ruling party in Rivers. The status is also expected to place him at a vantage position to clinch the APC ticket for the 2027 governorship election in the state.
Fubara’s move to the APC followed the defection of 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the APC late last year. Governor Fubara had declared himself the leader of the APC in the state. The governor made the declaration during the flag-off event of the Rivers State airport bypass and tollgate project.
He said, “I’m very happy this morning. I’m not just a member of the All Progressive Congress, I am the number one. I have collected my card and the form is 001.
“From this moment, it is not an issue of “e be like say or e no be”. I am there with all my chest and heart.”
Speaking on his official defection to the APC, Fubara explained that the move was embarked upon in a bid to ensure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
“We are going to do everything to make sure that 2027 election for Mr President would be a smooth drive in Rivers,” he noted.
Appealing for support, the governor stated that his decision to join the APC was the only means to express gratitude to President Tinubu’s administration.
“How do we do it? It is with all of you here. The only way we can continue to tell Mr President thank you is to support him,” he said.
In a quick reaction, Wike dismissed claims that the Rivers State Governor has automatically become the leader of the APC in the state following his recent defection to the ruling party.
Wike, who spoke during a media parley in Port Harcourt, insisted that party leadership is determined by grassroots structures at the ward and local government levels, not by the office one occupies.
According to him, “There is nothing like ‘001’ in party politics, You register in your ward, and your local government is in your ward. Everybody registers in his ward. You could be the first to register, but it does not mean that by becoming governor you automatically become leader of the party.”
Since his return to the state for the Yuletide, Wike has repeatedly accused Fubara of reneging on earlier agreements. However, since his defection to the APC, Fubara appears to have gained renewed political momentum, buoyed by growing support from power blocs in Abuja.
Indeed, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, recently urged Rivers residents to rally behind the ruling party and support President Tinubu and Governor Fubara in the 2027 general elections.
Basiru made the call while commissioning a project in the state, where he also commended Fubara for what he described as impressive governance strides and the delivery of quality projects.
Contrary to Wike’s opinion, many analysts have differed on the position of the FCT Minister on who controls the party structure in the state.
A legal practitioner and political analyst, Living Jamala, has faulted the position of the Minister of the FCT on the leadership of the APC in Rivers State, describing his claims as “laughable” and “preposterous”.
Jamala was reacting to Wike’s assertion that Fubara, despite defecting to the APC, could not be regarded as the leader of the party in the state.
According to Jamala, Wike’s position was untenable, given that the FCT minister remains a member of the PDP.
“With due respect to the honourable minister, it is laughable, and to say the least, preposterous, for someone who belongs to another political party to attempt to define leadership within the APC,” he said.
The lawyer argued that political parties operate through internal structures and processes, stressing that questions of leadership are the exclusive preserve of party members.
“What is the status of the FCT minister in APC affairs? From the records, he is still a member of the PDP. There is no evidence that he has defected to the APC. It is therefore difficult to understand how someone in a different political party can direct or determine the affairs of another,” Jamala stated.
He acknowledged that such interference might occur in smaller or less structured political groups but insisted that the APC, as a national party with a clearly defined leadership hierarchy, could not be so directed.
“The APC is a national party, headed by a national chairman and supervised by the president. I do not think third-party interference can determine the internal direction of the party, especially ahead of 2027,” he said.
Jamala also argued that Governor Fubara’s political relevance should not be understated, noting that the governor commands significant grassroots support in Rivers State.
“Fubara is not just an individual; he is the sitting governor of the state, with organic followers. You do not need to deploy federal might to impose victory where there is genuine support for a government that is performing,” he said.
It was rumoured that the governor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma had brokered a meeting between Fubara and President Tinubu in Aso Rock Presidential Villa, last year, whereupon Tinubu and Fubara agreed to work for each other’s second term success in 2027, a meeting and an agreement that left Wike with sore confusion.
Since then, Wike has been accusing Fubara of reneging on a purported agreement both politicians reached on how to govern the state, an agreement both camps have failed to make public.
But Wike, pushing back against Fubara’s second term ambition, has deployed the 27 members of the House of Assembly loyal to him to initiate impeachment moves against Fubara. On Thursday, January 8, 2026, 26 members of the House of Assembly had cited gross misconduct on the part of the governor for which they said he deserved impeachment. The impeachment notice was interpreted by many as a conspiracy orchestrated by Wike to bring in Martins Amaewhule the Speaker of the Assembly as the acting governor. The interpretation followed the inclusion of the Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Odu in the impeachment saga.
According to the House of Assembly, Fubara and Odu’s offences include reckless and unconstitutional expenditure of public funds, hindering or obstruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly which is another arm of government, appointment of persons to occupy offices and positions in the Rivers State government without allowing for the requirements of screening and confirmation by the House of Assembly, seizure of salaries, allowances and funds standing to the credit of the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as other sundry allegations.
But the impeachment notice was said not to have reached Fubara as he was out of the country at the time to meet with Tinubu in continuation of the discussions on their second term pursuit. Confirming that Fubara was yet to officially receive the impeachment notice, Darlington Orji, the Special Adviser to governor Fubara on Political Affairs, said his principal was yet to receive any impeachment notice.
Speaking on Friday January 16 in a television interview, Orji stressed that Fubara had not yet been served officially with the impeachment notice. He also alleged that what was happening was that the 26 members of the state Assembly who want Fubara out believed in their godfather Wike.
Orji further alleged that the Assembly members were enraged because Fubara declined to present a supplementary budget that would line the pockets of lawmakers who claimed that the previous budget prepared by the Sole Administrator, Ibok Ette Ibas, did not capture their interest.
In response to the claim, Orji equally alleged that Ibas had gifted the lawmakers with Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicles each. Orji also disclosed that another N350 million constituency project funds was handed to each of the House of Assembly members by the governor. Hence, Orji informed that Fubara maintained that the state had no need for a Supplementary Budget.
“I am convinced that the impeachment cannot stand. This process cannot scale through because it has no truth. It will not stand because we know the impeachment notice lacks merit”, Orji had said during the interview.
Upon his return to Port Harcourt penultimate week, Fubara had referred to the Assembly members in support of his impeachment as dogs barking ignorantly. Speaking on Sunday, January 11 during a church service at the Saint Cyprian Anglican Church Port Harcourt to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, Fubara had asked for calm while assuring the citizens of the state that his calm disposition amid provocation was because he was confident in God’s care and protection.
“I said something that dogs bark when they don’t understand. Now see, I think a lot of you don’t understand and that’s the reason I don’t shout, I don’t complain. I know what I have.
“I know that I have what is supreme and that is God. So, I want everyone to relax. What is important is peace for this dear state, and we’ll get it by the special name of God”.
While Wike and his camp continue to fight dirty in their struggle to hinder Fubara from ruling the state for another term in 2027, the governor appears to be neither losing sleep nor having any qualms pursuing his ambition despite the distractions. There are indications that many factors are working in his favour, while Wike keeps receiving knocks across the country that are whittling down his influence on the state. For one, Fubara has become a force to reckon with in the APC. This is due to the huge resources under his control which he can deploy during elections, and Tinubu is not unmindful of such financial and human resources domiciled in the Garden City state. It was such huge resources that made Wike thick while he ruled the state. Secondly, apart from manipulating the state’s lawmakers to begin an impeachment process, Wike has lost all powers against his once political godson due to greed and power drunk. If the impeachment gambit fails as it is likely to be, Wike will become a political orphan in Rivers State where the citizens have shown unalloyed loyalty, support and sympathy to the governor. Both the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PADEF) have expressed sympathy for Fubara. PANDEF where boat Fubara and Wike belong to, had also inaugurated a seven–member peace and reconciliation committee led by a former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, to mediate in the impeachment saga, this appears as a move to consolidate Fubara’s governorship of the state.
Again, the APC leadership has also demonstrated support for Fubara. The APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Bashiru, stated recently that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the leader of the party in Rivers State amidst the ongoing political tussle, emphasizing that Fubara holds the party’s mandate, challenging the narrative of rival factions and underlining Fubara’s authority and path to potential re-election.
Bashiru asserted that Governor Fubara is the rightful APC leader in Rivers State, a key declaration amid disagreements with Wike and other factions.
The implication is that the party leadership sees Fubara’s position as solid, implying support for his second term bid and viewing him as crucial for APC’s future in the state. The comments address the internal power struggle, with the National Secretary backing Fubara against dissenting voices, solidifying the central party’s stance on the governor’s authority.
Similarly, the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, had also declared that Fubara remained the party’s image in Rivers State, a declaration that indicated that the governor has earned the full backing of the party and its leadership, including President Tinubu to the detriment of Wike. As things stand at present, Wike appears to have lost out of the struggle because he has no party, and he can’t easily defect to the APC where he had court many enemies. He is only surviving at the mercy of President Tinubu. Should Tinubu relieve him of the ministerial job, that would have nailed the coffin of his political career.
