The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has confirmed that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the leader of the party in Rivers State.
Yilwatda made the clarification on Friday night during an appearance on Channels Television’s news programme, Hard Copy. He emphasized that the APC Constitution recognizes governors of party-controlled states as the leaders of the party in their respective states without exception.
“In all states, the governors lead the party in their states,” Yilwatda said, adding that governors are encouraged to involve all stakeholders in decision-making—a practice Governor Fubara has already demonstrated in Rivers State.
On Governor Fubara’s second-term ambition, Yilwatda stated that the APC would support his re-election if he emerges as the party’s candidate through the primary process, determined by duly accredited party delegates.
“If Siminalayi emerges as the candidate of the APC in Rivers State, I will stand by him,” he said.
Governor Fubara, who joined the APC in December after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explained that his move was to fully support President Bola Tinubu. He highlighted the loyalty of his supporters and framed the decision as a collective alignment with the president.
“The truth is, without Mr President, there wouldn’t be any His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara; it would have been the former governor. Our only thank-you to Mr President is to support him, and we cannot do so in isolation,” Fubara said.
