In a significant move that reshapes the political landscape of the Niger Delta, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has openly called on voters in Rivers State to deliver overwhelming support for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara in future elections. The endorsement effectively positions Governor Fubara as the party’s standard-bearer in the state ahead of the 2027 polls.
APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, made the call while addressing party supporters during the commissioning of the Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in Elimgbu, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Monday.
“I congratulate our governor, I congratulate our party because when the governor is doing well, it simply means that our party is doing well,” Basiru stated. “But the only way you can compensate the governor, compensate our party people of Rivers State, is to continue to vote for our party, the APC, in all elections.”
He expressed strong confidence in the party’s electoral prospects in the state. “And I know that in the fullness of time, in the general election coming, the votes for our party, the vote for our governor, the vote for our president, will be very massive in Rivers State.”
Governor Fubara’s recent defection to the APC has effectively brought all six states in the South-South geopolitical zone under the control of the ruling party, marking a historic shift in a region once dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His move followed months of political crisis in Rivers State that pitted him against his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The feud had led to a divided State Assembly, impeachment threats, and a six-month emergency political intervention declared by President Tinubu.
Since joining the APC, the party’s national leadership has moved swiftly to project Fubara as its political leader in Rivers State and a key asset for the 2027 general elections.
The APC’s public campaign for Fubara aligns with emerging indications that the party intends to grant him an automatic ticket for a second term. This position was earlier highlighted by former presidential aide and ambassadorial nominee, Senator Ita Enang, who noted a consensus within the APC leadership to offer automatic return tickets to defecting governors.
Basiru’s remarks reinforce this strategy, explicitly linking electoral success for the APC with continued support for Fubara’s administration. The governor is now being embraced not merely as a new member but as a central figure in the party’s long-term plans for Rivers State.
The APC’s unequivocal endorsement of Fubara is widely interpreted as a recalibration of political influence in Rivers State, potentially diminishing the role of former Governor Nyesom Wike, who has remained a dominant force in the state’s politics.
By rallying behind Fubara, the APC leadership appears to be consolidating a new power structure in Rivers—one that aligns the state more closely with the center and strengthens the party’s foothold in the South-South ahead of the next national election cycle.