APC Clears Air on Fubara’s Withdrawal, Says Rivers Governor Was Not Disqualified
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has clarified that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara was neither disqualified nor compelled to exit the party’s governorship primary process, insisting that the governor voluntarily withdrew after successfully scaling the party’s screening stage.
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made the clarification on Monday during an interview monitored by PulseNets.
Yilwatda explained that Fubara duly purchased the APC nomination forms, appeared before the screening committee, and was cleared to participate in the governorship primary before later deciding to withdraw from the race.
According to the APC chairman, the Rivers governor’s decision to step down was entirely personal and not influenced by any internal party action.
“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 National Chairman also dismissed reports suggesting that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, played any role in the development or influenced Fubara’s withdrawal from the APC governorship contest.
Yilwatda maintained that Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore had no involvement in the party’s internal governorship primary process.
“Wike is not in our party. He is in PDP,” he added.
PulseNets learnt that Governor Fubara had earlier announced his withdrawal from the APC governorship primary, stating that the decision was taken in the interest of peace, stability, and unity in Rivers State.
The governor also reaffirmed his commitment to completing his current tenure while prioritising political calm in the state.
Meanwhile, Wike reacted to the development during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in Abuja, where he dismissed claims that Fubara’s withdrawal was linked to any political crisis.
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The former Rivers State governor also threw his support behind the emergence of House of Representatives member Kingsley Chinda as the party’s governorship candidate.
Wike further alleged that the political developments in Rivers State were influenced by behind-the-scenes negotiations involving President Bola Tinubu, claiming that Fubara’s withdrawal followed assurances connected to impeachment concerns within the Rivers State House of Assembly.
