Tinubu backs Fubara as APC leader in Rivers amid impeachment tension

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, dismissing suggestions that former governor Nyesom Wike holds sway over the party’s structure.
The clarification, conveyed through the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, comes against the backdrop of impeachment moves against Fubara by the Rivers State House of Assembly and deepening political friction between the governor and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, Bwala said Tinubu aligns with APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who maintains that sitting governors are the recognised leaders of the party at the state level.
“In Rivers State, Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC. Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore cannot speak for the party,” Bwala said.
He added that while Wike may command influence within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leadership of the APC in Rivers “rests solely with Governor Fubara.”
Bwala stressed that the President’s position is anchored on party rules, constitutional order, and due process, noting that Tinubu would not compromise these principles for political convenience.
Addressing concerns about Wike’s perceived influence within the federal government, Bwala said the minister had already been “adequately compensated,” adding that while the President allows latitude, “once boundaries are crossed, consequences follow.”
On the impeachment proceedings, Bwala warned that any attempt to remove the governor must strictly follow constitutional provisions.
“There are court orders stopping the impeachment. Nobody should stop Governor Fubara from governing Rivers State,” he said.
The Rivers State chapter of the APC welcomed the President’s intervention, describing it as a vindication of its long-held position that Fubara remains the party’s rightful leader in the state.
The party also urged the APC National Working Committee to conduct congresses at ward, local government, and state levels to stabilise the party and called on Governor Fubara to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to chart a united path forward.