APC disqualifies 65 Rivers Assembly aspirants, clears Wike loyalists ahead of primaries

The screening exercise for the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a sharply political turn after the party’s committee disqualified 64 aspirants, including former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, ahead of the 2027 State Assembly primaries.

According to the report of the screening committee signed by its chairman, Rt. Hon. Muraina Ajibola, and three other members, the affected aspirants were dropped for allegedly failing to meet required party guidelines and eligibility standards.

However, the committee cleared 33 aspirants who are widely believed to be aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Many of those cleared are serving members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and are expected to participate in the primaries scheduled for the 2027 elections.

Prominent among those cleared are Maol Dumle, Major M. Jack, Nwabochi Frankline, Tonye Smart Adoki, Hope Ugwumadu, Kenneth Minimah, and others drawn largely from the incumbent legislative structure.

In contrast, most of the disqualified aspirants are said to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, including Chijioke Kemzunum Ihunwo, a former Obio/Akpor Local Government chairman and key supporter of the governor.

The screening outcome has further deepened existing political tensions within the Rivers APC, where factions aligned to Wike and Fubara have been locked in a prolonged struggle for control of party structures ahead of 2027.

Out of 98 aspirants who obtained nomination forms and underwent screening at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt, 64 were disqualified while 33 were cleared, according to the committee’s report.

Aspirants were assessed based on documentation, eligibility criteria, and internal party requirements, though critics within the party say the process reflects deeper factional considerations.

The development has sparked concern among political observers who warn that the exclusion of a large bloc of aspirants aligned with one side of the party’s internal divide could weaken cohesion ahead of the general elections.

One supporter of the governor described the situation as politically dangerous, arguing that sidelining key mobilisers could backfire on the party during the polls, warning that grievances from the screening process may affect grassroots support in the state.

With the primaries approaching, Rivers APC now appears set for a highly charged contest shaped not only by electoral ambition but also by the ongoing power struggle between the state’s dominant political blocs.

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