COMMENTARY
APC Nat’l Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Affirms Gov. Fubara as Rivers APC Leader, Insists on Due Process for 2027 Ticket Amid Wike Remarks
…says “If Fubara Emerges as a Candidate of APC in River State, I’ll Stand by Him...”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has provided fresh clarity on the party’s leadership structure in Rivers State while also addressing speculations surrounding the political future of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, amid ongoing debates within the state’s political space.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television aired on Friday, January 1, 2026, Professor Yilwatda was confronted with a direct question on who currently holds leadership of the APC in Rivers State.
The interviewer asked, “So just so we’re clear, in River State, the leader of the All Progressives Congress in River State is Governor Fubara?” Without hesitation, the APC chairman responded, “Yes.”
However, Yilwatda was quick to place the declaration within the broader context of party collaboration and collective responsibility. He stressed that leadership within the APC is not absolute or unilateral, noting that effective leadership requires cooperation across party structures.
According to him, “But he will need to coordinate with every other person in the state.”
The interview then shifted to the tense political undertones generated by recent remarks credited to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who had suggested that occupying the governorship seat does not automatically translate into securing a second term. Against this backdrop, the interviewer asked whether the APC national leadership would back Governor Fubara should he seek re-election.
In response, Professor Yilwatda firmly anchored the party’s position on internal democracy and strict adherence to established procedures.
Making it clear that no individual enjoys automatic privileges, he stated, “I’m not the person to choose people in the primary election,” emphasizing that the party’s candidates must emerge through a competitive process. He added, “Everybody undergoes primary election.”
Further reinforcing the APC’s institutional stance, the national chairman explained that the party’s loyalty lies with process, not personalities. He declared, “If Fubara emerges as a candidate of APC in River State, I’ll stand by him. But if any other person emerges as the candidate of APC in River State, I’ll go with him.”
Summing up this principle, he stated unequivocally, “I’ll go with candidates, not individuals.”
To underscore that this approach is not theoretical but already practiced within the party, Professor Yilwatda cited a previous gubernatorial primary in Ekiti State.
“Recall we did primary election in Ekiti state. The governor contested with other people, and he emerged as the candidate of the APC,” he said, explaining that even the sitting governor was subjected to the same process as other aspirants.
He also revealed the extent of his personal neutrality during that process, noting that he deliberately distanced himself from actions that could suggest favoritism.
“Even when he came to submit their forms in the party office, I refused to appear in all of them. I didn’t go and submit their forms. The governor went and submitted his form like any other person.”
Professor Yilwatda’s remarks appear aimed at calming internal tensions within the APC while sending a clear signal that, regardless of stature or incumbency, all party members must submit to democratic processes, a message that could significantly shape political calculations ahead of future elections in Rivers State.