RIVERS State Governor Siminalayi Fubara turned down media interview after he appeared before the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship screening committee at the Plateau State Governors’ Lodge in Abuja on Sunday, May 10.
Fubara hurriedly left the venue and reporters could not confirm whether he scaled through the screening exercise like some of his contemporaries seeking re-election on the party’s platform as preparations for the 2027 polls are in full swing.
When journalists attempted to ask him questions on the outcome of the exercise and his political future ahead of the 2027 elections, he said, “No comment,” and refused to entertain further questions.
Fubara appeared before the APC Governorship Screening Committee chaired by the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, a professor.
The development comes amid growing political tension in Rivers State following Fubara’s prolonged rift with his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the control of the state’s political structure.
Fubara, a 51-year-old trained accountant and River State former Accountant-General, emerged governor in 2023 unde the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform before later defecting to the APC in December 2025.
His administration became engulfed in a bitter political crisis that led to a split in the Rivers State House of Assembly and a fierce power struggle with Wike.
In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state and suspended Fubara alongside members of the state House of Assembly b
efore he was later reinstated in September 2025.
Sunday’s screening has further intensified speculations over the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State, especially as other aspirants linked to both the Fubara and Wike camps have also appeared before the screening panel.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.