Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rejected allegations that the party’s screening of House of Assembly aspirants was biased in favour of loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while those aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara were deliberately sidelined. The party insisted that Wike is not a member of the APC and had no hand in the screening process.
Speaking with journalists at the party’s state secretariat in Port Harcourt, the APC Publicity Secretary, Chibuike Ikenga, described the reports as misleading and unfair. He stated that although Wike has openly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re‑election bid, linking him to the outcome of the screening exercise was inappropriate and unfounded. “Wike is not a member of our party, and so has no hand in our screening process. The allegation of being biased in the screening process is misleading and unfair,” Ikenga said.
The screening exercise, which took place over the weekend of May 9 to May 10, 2026, involved 98 aspirants vying for the party’s tickets across various constituencies in the state. According to the screening committee’s report, 33 aspirants were cleared while 65 were not cleared. The cleared list included all 29 serving lawmakers aligned with Wike, including Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol and House Leader Major Jack. In contrast, all 32 aspirants sponsored by Governor Fubara were reportedly disqualified, among them former factional Speaker Victor Oko‑Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy, and Chijiole Ihunwo. The governor, who attended the screening in Abuja, was said to be visibly displeased and declined to comment to journalists.
Ikenga dismissed claims that the outcome was influenced by factional interests, pointing out that the party had constituted an appeal committee to review petitions from aggrieved aspirants. “The Appeal Panel is there to take another look at whether the decisions taken by the Screening Committee were properly done and fair. And that’s the process we are in now, and it’s going on successfully,” he said. He added that the party had made the screening outcome publicly available at the state secretariat to enable aspirants to verify their status.
The Appeal Committee chairman, human rights lawyer Abdul Mahmud, assured stakeholders that the panel would carry out its assignment transparently and fairly, basing decisions strictly on documentary evidence. He noted that the committee had received 19 petitions and would conclude its sitting on May 13, 2026. Some aspirants were also allowed to submit missing documents that were not provided during the initial screening. Mahmud dismissed insinuations that the disqualification of some aspirants was politically motivated. “I’m not interested in your faction; I’m interested in your documents before me,” he stated.
The screening committee cited several reasons for disqualification, including nominations by persons who were not financially up to date members of the party, inducement and attempted bribery of committee members, submission of unsworn affidavits, failure to present voter cards or party membership slips, conflicting dates of birth, irregularities in nominators’ party membership numbers, inconsistencies in names across submitted documents, insufficient number of nominators per ward, and invalid affidavits that failed to disclose material particulars relating to NECO certificates.
One aspirant, Gogo Friday of Andoni Constituency, expressed dissatisfaction over his non‑clearance, saying he was never officially informed of the reasons despite completing the nomination process. He later discovered that some of his nominators were said not to have paid party dues, while discrepancies in the names on some of his documents were also cited against him. Similarly, Atuzie Collins, contesting for Obio/Akpor Constituency II, was disqualified over a spelling error on his voter’s card. He said he had since sworn an affidavit to correct the error, arguing that such a minor discrepancy should not be enough to stop his ambition.
The confirmation that all 32 Fubara‑backed aspirants were disqualified has further escalated the political rift between the governor and his predecessor. Governor Fubara had defected to the APC in December 2025, along with several lawmakers and political appointees, in an effort to secure federal backing for his re‑election bid. However, the screening outcome suggests that Wike’s political machinery remains dominant within the party’s state structure.
Wike himself has vehemently rejected insinuations linking him to the controversy. Speaking on the matter, he said he was not a member of the APC and had no knowledge of the screening committee’s internal workings. He maintained that he had also not been informed of any issue by the Rivers State governor. Reports have also emerged that Wike has resolved to replace Governor Fubara with the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, a development that, if confirmed, would set the stage for a fierce political battle in the state.
The appeal process is expected to conclude on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, as the party intensifies preparations for its primary elections in the coming days.The Rivers State chapter of the APC has dismissed allegations that the screening was biased in favour of Wike’s allies, describing the claims as misleading. The party insisted that Wike is not a member of the APC and had no involvement in the internal process.
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