Fubara, Wike Allies Face APC Screening Committee as Party Awaits Report

Siminalayi Fubara has appeared before the screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, amid questions over his earlier absence from the exercise, which was scheduled to hold from Friday, May 8, to Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Plateau State Governors’ Lodge.

APC constituted a Screening Committee chaired by the National Chairman of the party, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, for incumbent governors seeking re-election and those aspiring to contest Senatorial seats in the 2027 general elections.

The party stated that the APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Basiru, will serve as the Secretary, and other members of the committee will be drawn from the National Working Committee (NWC).

The party’s chairman, Yilwatda, who was expected to be present throughout the screening process and had chaired the sessions held on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9, was absent on Sunday when Fubara appeared before the committee.

Speculations suggest his absence was due to strained relationships between Governor Fubara and his Predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

When asked about Fubara’s absence on Saturday, Yilwatda explained that the Rivers governor was occupied with official engagements.

The APC Chairman frowned at singling out Fubara, noting that other governors, including those from Kwara and Ebonyi States, who were also scheduled for the exercise, were absent due to varying commitments in their respective states.

He said, “Three governors have not come, so that is the issue. I said you should not single one person out when three governors have not appeared. All of them have their reasons for not appearing, and we know they are the chief executives of their states with state responsibilities.

“So, any governor who has state issues to attend to, whether the governor of Kwara State, Ebonyi State, Rivers State, we excuse them. They are chief executives and field commanders. Anytime they are free, within the stipulated time, the screening committee will be available, and we will provide a slot for them.”

Wike, during a press briefing last week in Abuja, stated that Governor Fubara has agreed not to seek reelection in Rivers State as part of a peace deal before President Bola Tinubu.

TVC News gathered that Fubara, who has been involved in a long-standing political conflict with his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly obtained the APC expression of interest and nomination forms through a proxy, against Wike’s opposition.

A coalition of elders and supporters has openly defied the position of the FCT Minister by procuring the APC Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the Rivers State Governor.

Wike said, “We have loyalists in PDP, we have loyalists in APC. I have never hidden the fact that everywhere you say rainbow coalition. We have put ourselves together, and it is a political strategy because we have somebody we will fight.”

“You know that we and Fubara are not working. So, as politicians, we must strategise. I don’t need to come and unveil our strategy to you.”

“The president intervened in the impeachment palava and said, ‘Hold on, let’s have peace’. And the governor said, ‘I am ready for peace, I’m no longer interested in this, I will not do this.

“The Assembly went and withdrew the impeachment before a president of a country. Now, having withdrawn the impeachment, you are now too smart to remember what you agreed before the president,” he added.

Those screened during the Friday and Saturday exercise include Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, and Hyacinth Alia of Benue State.

Others include the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, and his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori.

The committee also screened Niger State Governor, Umar Bago; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu; and Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, among others.

However, the Governor of Rivers State was notably absent from the screening exercise on Friday and Saturday but appeared on Sunday, spending about seven minutes with the screening committee.

The Sunday screening exercise was reportedly chaired by the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.

According to footage obtained by TVC News, Fubara, on Sunday, arrived at the Plateau Governor’s Lodge for the screening at about 3.15 pm, but, less than 10 minutes later, he left the screening room in a calm mood and proceeded directly to his unnumbered SUV parked at the entrance of the venue.

When approached by journalists to comment on how the exercise went, Fubara simply said, “No comment.”

When approached after the exercise, the National Secretary of the APC and Secretary of the Screening Committee, Ajibola Basiru, disclosed that the report would be released soon.

He stated, “Every aspirant must appear before the screening committee; of course, it is necessary as part of the process. After the exercise, the screening committee will issue its report.

“As of now, the screening committee, when it has completed seeing everybody it is supposed to see, will now sit down and come up with a report on the screening. As of now, there is no report from the screening committee.”

TVC News previously reported that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has threatened that there would be no second chance for Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, citing failure to provide effective leadership.

Wike expressed that any leader who is unable to maintain a working relationship with local government chairmen, members of the state House of Assembly, and other critical stakeholders lacks the capacity to govern effectively.

He made the remarks in January during a “thank you visit” to the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Wike said, “There cannot be two captains in one ship. So whoever is assuring you that when you shout on your mandate that all is well, then you are wrong.

“Someone who cannot relate with the Local Government Chairmen, state assembly members, National Assembly members, and other stakeholders cannot provide good leadership.”

He added, “We will do all we can to see that we give President Bola Tinubu all the total support that he requires.

“Somebody said a dog is barking. This dog that’s barking now barked, even when Rivers’ people didn’t know who the person was, and the dog that barked made the person be governor when others ran away, and he’s not afraid that the same dog now is barking. I wish him good luck.

“We have decided to support Asiwaju Tinubu. There’s no discussion about that, but there’s one we must make a decision. We won’t make the mistake we made last time. We would correct the mistake.”

Wike, a factional national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, controls his party and APC structures in Rivers State through an arrangement he described as “Rainbow Coalition,” and has pledged that his group will produce Fubara’s successor.

The position of  Wike on blocking the re-election bid of Fubara was confirmed as his key allies were screened for the Rivers State governorship seat by a committee chaired by APC Deputy National Chairman, Benjamin Nwoye.

A former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Alabo Dakorinama George Kelly, were assessed by the APC screening committee.

The party has May 11 (today) for the release of screening reports, while screening appeals are expected to be held on May 12 and May 13.