Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
In a dramatic twist that underscores the rapidly shifting political landscape of Rivers State, Blessing Fubara Snr, a development strategist and grassroots mobilizer who hails from the same Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area as Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has formally picked up the governorship nomination and expression of interest forms of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The move came barely hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara announced his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary, a decision he described as a "sacrifice" for the peace and unity of Rivers State. While the younger Fubara stepped aside from the APC race—clearing the path for the emergence of OK Chinda as the party's consensus candidate—his elder namesake, Blessing Fubara Snr, has now positioned himself as a fresh contender under the banner of the NDC, a fast-rising opposition platform that is steadily attracting defectors from the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Blessing Fubara Snr, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Development and Adult Education and currently serves as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of D'Consiglories LLC, obtained his nomination forms at the NDC national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. According to the Rivers State Chairman of the NDC, Hon. Success Jack, the party is fully prepared to contest and win not only the governorship election but several other positions in the state come 2027. "Yes, he obtained his expression of interest form in Abuja, and we are fully prepared to contest and win not only the governorship election but several other positions in Rivers State in 2027," Jack said. When asked whether Blessing Fubara Snr is directly related to the incumbent governor, Jack noted that he could not confirm any family relationship. However, both men share the same surname and hail from the same local government area, a coincidence that has fueled intense political speculation across the state.
Blessing Fubara's entry into the governorship race, coming on the heels of Governor Siminalayi Fubara's withdrawal from the APC primary, adds a layer of intrigue to what was already a tense political environment in Rivers State. Governor Fubara announced his withdrawal in a personally signed statement on Wednesday night, saying: "After deep reflection and extensive consultations with my family, friends, and associates, I have taken the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from the APC gubernatorial primaries. I do so with a full heart and with a firm commitment to support whoever emerges as the candidate of our great party." The governor cited the need to prioritize the peace, stability, and unity of Rivers State over personal ambition, and while he did not mention the political maneuvering behind his decision, sources have indicated that he came under intense pressure from the party's national leadership and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who were reportedly opposed to him securing a second-term ticket.
Blessing Fubara Snr had defected from the APC to the NDC about two weeks before his governor-brother's withdrawal. Speaking after he was received by the National Leader of the NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, and other stakeholders of the party in Abuja, Blessing Fubara described the NDC as "a moving train" and said his decision to join the party was in the interest of the people of Rivers State. "The soul of Rivers State is at stake, and the people must take back their state," he said, stressing that Rivers will be "OK" after the 2027 polls. His words carried a subtle rebuke of the current political establishment in the state, and the slogan "Rivers will be OK" has since become a rallying cry among his supporters and within the NDC's Rivers State chapter.
The NDC, under the leadership of Senator Seriake Dickson, has positioned itself as a credible alternative to the APC and the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections. Dickson, a former Governor of Bayelsa State and a serving senator, has been actively wooing aggrieved politicians from across the political divide. Just days before Blessing Fubara picked up his nomination forms, Dickson received a fresh wave of defectors into the party alongside Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and a former governor of Kano State. Dickson has declared that the NDC belongs to all Nigerians and has urged opposition forces to unite under the party's platform to challenge the ruling APC in 2027. The party has also zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria for a single four-year term, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to attract support from the South-South and South-West geopolitical zones.
Political analysts in Port Harcourt have described Blessing Fubara's emergence as a development that could reshape the governorship contest in Rivers State. While some supporters have hailed his entry as the beginning of a new political movement capable of challenging the dominance of larger parties, critics have argued that the real test lies in the NDC's ability to convert growing public attention into a formidable statewide structure. The party has yet to prove its electoral strength at the state level, and with the APC consolidating its hold on power under the influence of Minister Nyesom Wike, the NDC faces an uphill battle to gain traction among the electorate.
Nonetheless, the symbolism of a man bearing the Fubara name contesting for the governorship under a different party platform cannot be ignored. Whether Blessing Fubara Snr is indeed related to Governor Siminalayi Fubara or simply sharing the same surname from the same local government area, his candidacy has already achieved one thing: it has ensured that the Fubara name will remain on the ballot in 2027, even if not under the APC. For the governor's supporters who felt disenfranchised by his withdrawal, the emergence of Blessing Fubara Snr offers a new focal point for their political aspirations. For the NDC, it is a chance to prove that it is not merely a receptacle for political refugees but a serious contender capable of mounting a credible challenge in one of Nigeria's most politically strategic states.
As the dust settles on the APC primary and the broader political realignment takes shape, Rivers State is bracing for a competitive 2027 election cycle. With Blessing Fubara Snr now in the race under the NDC banner, and with the APC set to field OK Chinda as its consensus candidate, the battle for the Rivers Government House is no longer a foregone conclusion. The Fubara name has not left the ballot—it has simply flown to a different flag.
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