PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — The internal crisis tearing through the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a dramatic turn following the official release of the screening results for aspirants seeking to contest the 2027 Rivers State House of Assembly primaries. In an unexpected sweep, the party’s national secretariat issued an official clearance report that revealed a mass disqualification of over sixty legislative hopefuls, heavily tilting the political balance of power against the camp of the state’s executive governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The official screening outcome, which was certified and dispatched from the APC national headquarters in Abuja, indicates that the disqualifications cut deep into the structural roots of the party across several key state constituencies. Political analysts and party insiders have noted that an overwhelming majority of the individuals who failed to scale the vetting process are key actors fiercely loyal to Governor Fubara, signaling a calculated systemic maneuver to neutralize the governor's structural influence within the opposition platform ahead of the upcoming primary elections.
This administrative development marks the latest high-stakes escalation in the prolonged, bitter battle for absolute political control of the oil-rich Niger Delta state. For over two years, the political landscape of Rivers State has been defined by a deep institutional gridlock, and this newest move by the APC national leadership appears to further draw the battle lines ahead of the 2027 general election cycle.
Among the prominent politicians and grassroots mobilizers who were denied clearance by the APC screening panel are Berebupakabo Isaac Sekibo, Tamunodiepriye Fubara Goodluck Ohaka, Tonye Garrick Tom-George, Prince Emukighro Fubara, and Tamunobaraiba George. The denial of their nomination bids has effectively locked them out of the official party structure, preventing them from representing the progressive ticket in their respective localities.
The geographical spread of the disqualified aspirants underscores the comprehensive nature of the vetting committee's decisions. The mass exclusions have directly impacted vital constituencies and local government areas that form the traditional bedrock of Rivers politics, including Okrika, Khana, Omuma, Ahoada East, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Andoni, and Akuku-Toru. By striking out aspirants from these strategic areas, the party has effectively reshaped the local legislative races across the entire state.
Unsurprisingly, the publication of the screening list has triggered immense tension and anxiety within the rank and file of the Rivers APC, particularly among politicians aligned with the suspended governor. Reports from Port Harcourt indicate that numerous party stakeholders are harboring deep resentment over the outcome, with many openly condemning the screening exercise as a heavily compromised and partisan process targeted specifically at dismantling Governor Fubara's political machinery within the party.
Conversely, while more than sixty aspirants were systematically dropped from the race, the APC screening panel gave its official blessing to thirty-three aspirants, clearing them to fully participate in the forthcoming house of assembly primaries. A closer examination of the successful candidates reveals a telling pattern that further illuminates the underlying factional dynamics of the state.
A significant majority of the thirty-three cleared aspirants are widely recognized as die-hard loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The former governor turned minister has maintained a dominant, ironclad grip on the political structures of Rivers State, successfully leveraging his extensive nationwide networks to outmaneuver his successor despite his formal entry into the federal cabinet under a cross-party arrangement.
Among the prominent Wike loyalists who successfully scaled the screening hurdle and secured their places on the primary ballot are Maol Dumle, Tonye Smart Adoki, Kenneth Minimah, Justina Aniton Okorji, and Arnold O. Davids. The clearance of these heavyweight political operators ensures that the minister's faction enters the legislative primaries with an unassailable advantage, virtually guaranteeing them a clean sweep of the tickets across the state.
Legal experts and political commentators observe that this decisive administrative strike by the APC national secretariat reflects the broader national alignment of the party's leadership, which appears to strongly favor the Wike faction in the ongoing Rivers dispute. By ensuring that only verified loyalists of the FCT minister make it to the primary election stage, the APC is positioning itself to field a unified and highly disciplined legislative front for the 2027 elections.
As the disqualified aspirants contemplate their next moves, including the possibility of approaching the party's primary election appeal committee or seeking judicial intervention, the political temperature in Rivers State remains at an all-time high. With the legislative tickets now largely preserved for one faction, the state chapter of the APC enters the primary election week under a cloud of deep polarization, setting the stage for a highly contentious race to the 2027 general elections.
