Why Fubara won’t return in 2027 as Rivers governor – APC

Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State no longer belongs to any political party, and will thus not get a party to nominate him in 2027 for any political office, BusinessDay has learnt.

According to the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) backed by National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Governor Fubara may not return to as governor of the State, saying at the moment he doesn’t belong to any political party in the Country.

Tony Okocha, who is a factional chairman of APC in Rivers State, spoke on Sunday while celebrating his birthday with widows where he shared palliatives to the women, declaring that Governor Fubara, whom he alleged, was plotting against Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister, has no political party affiliation any more.

“He is not even a member of any political party, so how will he contest the 2027 election? He is no more a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and he cannot be nominated by the party”, he said.

He did not explain at what point the governor who contested under the PDP umbrella lost the party’s membership, but it is a fact that Fubara’s loyalists got nominations for the recently-conducted 2024 local council elections in Rivers State from the Action People’s Party (APP) and all won.

Speaking on the Court order by Justice Godwin Obomanu of the Port Harcourt High Court that nullified the Executive Committee of the NWC-backed Rivers State APC he leads, Okocha accused Governor Sim Fubara to be behind it, saying the governor has to change or see the wrath of God.

He accused Rivers State Judiciary of interfering too much in political matters, describing the Rivers State Judiciary as the governor’s supermarket, alleging that “the governor even assigns cases to judges of his choice.”

Quoting the late MKO Abiola who said nobody should shave him in his absence, Okocha, known as a Nyesom Wike loyalist to the core, said the APC national leadership issued dates for the congresses, forms were bought as he claimed to have bought form with N3 million for the chairmanship slot and campaigned for it and was elected.

“I am not aware of any Court process on the matter. NWC came down here in Port Harcourt to inaugurate the new Executive Council. I hear those who went to Court served the national body who went for appeal.

“Let them do what they want. I will not run away from Nigeria. Let them know that the Supreme Court position is that it is internal. In a matter that concerns political parties, the party is supreme. They are wasting their time. The business of the party starts from the wards to LGAs and States to the national level.

“Let our State not be thrown into turmoil by idiotic verdicts. Each time the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) scolds judges, a judge from Rivers must be included.

“Bottom line is: I am not aware of any Court order stopping us. They cannot be embarrassing the national chairman”, he said.

He however threatened to expel those always running to the Court to obtain injunctions against the APC, advising any member who is not comfortable in the party to leave, saying, “If the kitchen is too hot for you, get out.”