…Governor Declines Comment After Brief Appearance
…Wike Camp Allegedly Backs Kingsley Chinda for Governorship Ticket
The re-election ambition of Siminalayi Fubara suffered a fresh political twist on Sunday after the Rivers governor reportedly walked out of the screening exercise organised by the All Progressives Congress in Abuja.
Fubara, who arrived late at the screening venue located at the Plateau Governor’s Lodge, was said to have spent only about 20 minutes before leaving the hall in apparent anger.
The governor, according to reports, arrived at the venue around 3 p.m. on Sunday after being absent during Saturday’s main screening session for incumbent governors seeking re-election on the platform of the APC.
Observers at the venue noted that Fubara’s mood appeared tense as he exited the screening room without exchanging pleasantries with party officials or supporters.
Journalists who had waited several hours to speak with the Rivers governor were also disappointed as he declined to address questions regarding the outcome of the exercise.
When reporters attempted to ask him about the screening, the visibly upset governor simply responded, “No comment,” before leaving the premises.
Party insiders disclosed that unlike other governors who were ceremonially escorted out of the screening venue by committee members, Fubara left alone without the usual protocol associated with the exercise.
Sources at the venue further claimed that members of the screening committee remained inside the hall and only exited several minutes after the governor had departed.
The screening session was presided over by Ali Dalori, who coordinated the exercise on behalf of the party leadership.
Fubara’s appearance at the screening comes amid his prolonged political feud with his estranged ally and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The rift between both politicians has continued to shape the political atmosphere in Rivers State, with several alignments and counter-alignments emerging within the APC structure.
There have been growing speculations that Wike’s camp is backing Kingsley Chinda as a possible replacement for Fubara ahead of the governorship contest.
Reports also suggest that one of Wike’s sons may be positioned to contest for Chinda’s current seat representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, although the claim has not been officially confirmed.
Chinda was reportedly among the earliest aspirants screened by the party on Saturday, fueling further speculation about shifting loyalties within the Rivers APC.
Speaking after the exercise, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said the screening process was still ongoing and no final decision had been reached regarding any aspirant.
Basiru stated that appearing before the committee was only part of the process and that the committee would submit its report after interacting with all aspirants.
He declined to specifically confirm whether Fubara had successfully passed the screening exercise.
Earlier on Saturday, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, had defended Fubara’s initial absence from the exercise, saying governors often had urgent official engagements.
Yilwatda noted that the governors of Kwara and Ebonyi states were also absent during the earlier session due to pressing state matters.
According to him, the party leadership remained flexible with scheduling arrangements for sitting governors and other aspirants.
The development has, however, intensified political tension within Rivers State, with analysts predicting a fierce battle for control of the APC structure ahead of the next governorship election.
The incident is also expected to deepen conversations around the future of the relationship between Fubara and Wike, whose political alliance once dominated Rivers politics.
