ABUJA, Jan. 23, 2026 — The Presidency has sought to end a simmering dispute over who controls the All Progressives Congress (APC) structure in Rivers State, declaring Governor Siminalayi Fubara the party’s leader in the state and insisting he must be allowed to govern without interference.
Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, made the clarification on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, saying the President’s position aligns with comments earlier credited to APC national chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda that sitting governors are recognised as party leaders at the state level.
“I agree with the point highlighted by the national chairman that in Rivers State, Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC,” Bwala said, adding that former governor Nyesom Wike “is not a member of the APC, so he cannot speak for the party.”
The intervention comes amid a wider political and institutional standoff in Rivers, where the House of Assembly has begun impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, and rival blocs continue to contest legitimacy and control of state political machinery.
Bwala said Tinubu “respects party procedures” and that the APC’s internal rules, as interpreted by the national leadership, place the governor at the top of the state hierarchy. He also addressed criticism that Wike’s role in the federal cabinet confers undue influence, arguing that appointments do not supersede “national interest,” and warning that presidential latitude has limits.
The Rivers dispute has also been complicated by recent political realignments. Channels Television and The Guardian reported that Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in December 2025, a development that has reshaped the balance of forces in the oil-producing state and sharpened intra-party tensions.
On the impeachment track, courts have issued orders that have slowed key steps, including proceedings linked to the constitution of an investigative panel. Channels Television reported a High Court order temporarily halting aspects of the process, while Punch reported that the state Chief Judge declined to act on the Assembly’s request to set up a panel, citing existing court orders. Separately, TheCable reported that a judge suspended an earlier ex parte order and adjourned related litigation indefinitely.
Analysts note that Rivers has repeatedly tested Nigeria’s crisis-management mechanisms, including federal intervention in 2025, when Tinubu imposed—then lifted—emergency rule after a governance paralysis linked to executive–legislative conflict.
