Rivers Power Tussle: APC warns Wike, backs Fubara as party leader

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved to rein in the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, warning that his sustained political interventions in Rivers State are threatening party cohesion, undermining Governor Siminalayi Fubara and risking a direct confrontation that could force President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to choose between his government and the ruling party.

A member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) disclosed that the party’s patience was wearing thin over what it described as Wike’s growing influence and confrontational posture in Rivers politics, despite not being a registered member of the party.

“We may be forced to ask the President to choose between us and his FCT minister if Wike continues to behave as if he alone can define the political interests of the President in Rivers State or anywhere else.”

“He is not a member of this party,” the NWC source said.

The warning followed a renewed political flare-up between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor after Wike openly criticised the APC’s long-standing convention that recognises sitting governors as leaders of their party structures in their respective states.

Wike’s objection has been interpreted within the APC as a direct challenge to Fubara’s authority and legitimacy as leader of the party in Rivers State.

During a “thank-you” visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area, Wike cautioned APC leaders and other political actors to steer clear of Rivers politics, declaring the state a risky terrain for political interference.

He claimed that past attempts to challenge entrenched political forces in Rivers had ended in failure and warned that history could repeat itself.

The former Rivers governor also boasted about what he described as an unprecedented political experiment in the state, where the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegedly worked together during the 2023 elections.

“Let anyone who thinks it is easy come out and show us how to unite two major political parties in one state. This is the only state where you saw the APC and PDP working together successfully,” Wike said.

However, APC leaders say the minister’s remarks betray a deeper frustration over what they describe as his shrinking political space since Governor Fubara’s alignment with the ruling party.

Party insiders argue that Wike’s insistence on exercising overarching authority in Rivers politics stems from his discomfort with being perceived as a mere appointee of an APC-led Federal Government, rather than the political strongman he once was in the state.

Reacting, APC leaders, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, reportedly advised Wike to confine himself to his official duties as FCT minister and to the internal affairs of the PDP, where he still claims membership.

In a strongly worded statement, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru asked Wike to resign his ministerial appointment if he wished to continue intervening in the internal affairs of the ruling party.

Basiru insisted that the convention recognising governors as party leaders in their states was neither new nor targeted at Rivers State.

“It is shocking that such an innocuous statement could attract such uncouth reactions from a serving member of the Federal Executive Council,” Basiru said, describing Wike’s conduct as excessive, provocative and unbecoming of a minister.

Basiru stressed that party records clearly show that Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore lacks the locus to meddle in its affairs.

He added that his responsibility as National Secretary includes safeguarding the party’s interests nationwide and that comments on Rivers APC cannot be misconstrued as interference in state governance.

The APC scribe also dismissed Wike’s allegation that party leaders were scrambling for a purported ₦600 billion in Rivers State, describing it as cheap blackmail.

He challenged the minister to substantiate the claim or face legal action.

“My record in public service is one of integrity. He should either prove his allegation or meet me in court,” Basiru said, adding that political power is transient and should not be wielded with arrogance.

Basiru further noted that Wike’s support for President Tinubu does not automatically translate into APC membership, pointing out that millions of Nigerians outside the party also backed the President in the 2023 election.

“Any attempt to destabilise the APC in Rivers State will not be tolerated.

The honourable option open to him is to resign as minister and pursue his political interests elsewhere,” he added.

The controversy intensified after Tony Giadom, speaking during Wike’s visit to Gokana Local Government Area, declared that Governor Fubara could not achieve political success in the state without Wike’s approval.

Giadom described Gokana as a “no-go area” for the governor and pledged the area’s loyalty to Wike and President Tinubu.

Similarly, the Ambassador of the Renewed Hope Family in Rivers State, Desmond Akawor, alleged that Oyigbo had seen little development since Wike left office and warned Governor Fubara to prepare to vacate Government House next year.

Akawor credited Wike with what he called the “liberation” of the area and pledged continued loyalty to him.

Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Okechukwu Akara Nworgu, echoed similar sentiments, assuring Wike of the people’s unwavering support and loyalty.

Meanwhile, political alignments in Rivers State continue to shift.

Deputy Governor Dr Ngozi Odu and Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, officially registered as members of the APC, further consolidating Governor Fubara’s position within the ruling party.

Speaking after his registration, Anabraba said the move formally affirmed his APC membership and would enable him to participate fully in party activities.

He added that the decision would strengthen support for Fubara’s “Rivers First” agenda and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, expressing optimism that improved synergy between the state and federal governments would benefit Rivers people.

Wike, Fubara and the changing balance of power

Political observers note that Wike’s migration from the PDP to the APC fundamentally altered Rivers State’s power dynamics while weakening the opposition nationally. After the 2023 elections, Wike appeared to control Rivers politics from Abuja, leveraging his proximity to President Tinubu to keep the PDP fragile in the state and pressure his successor.

However, Governor Fubara’s defection to the APC, alongside key political allies, has significantly altered that equation.

The development threatens Wike’s long-standing dominance in Rivers politics and raises questions about his future relevance both locally and nationally.

Once a dominant PDP strongman, Wike’s influence peaked during his eight-year tenure as governor, when he exercised firm control over party structures and turned Rivers into a PDP fortress.

That dominance unravelled after he lost the PDP presidential ticket in 2022 and was sidelined from national relevance within the party.

His subsequent revolt against the PDP in 2023 weakened the party, particularly in the South, but also hollowed out the political machinery that once sustained his authority.

Ironically, the crisis he helped create may now be eroding his own leverage, as Rivers politics enters a new and uncertain phase.

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