Why Fubara’s formal reception into APC will not happen, he has been orphaned–Insider reveals

Why Fubara’s formal reception into APC will not happen, he has been orphaned–Insider reveals

Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the manner other erstwhile opposition parties’ governors did, has been described as “same script, different ending”.

The governor formally announced his joining the ruling party on the 9th of December, 2025. Three months after, he is yet to be ceremoniously received into his new party as other governors who joined the party before and after him have been received.

The national chairman of the APC, professor Nentawe Yilwatda had on February 8th, while appearing on TVC news, stated that governors defecting from the northern states were being prioritized over governor Sim Fubara due to the Ramadan fasting that would impact political activities in the north.

APC on January 27th; Taraba state governor, Agbu Kefas was officially received into the APC on January 31st; Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf was officially received into the APC on February 16th; while most recently, Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal was officially received into APC on March 24th, immediately after the Ramadan celebration.

However, governor Sim Fubara’s official reception into the APC remains elusive, with no known date for the event to take place, his state exempted from the APC state elective congress, while the governor is serving as a member of the APC national convention committee on strategy and conflict resolution.

Fubara’s loyalists appear optimistic over his political future in the APC but in reality his reelection bid is currently laced with uncertainty.

Reliant.ng has been told that the APC national leadership has quietly declined to officially receive governor Fubara through president Tinubu’s directive.

The source who is a member of the APC leadership in Rivers state, claimed that the national chairman of the APC was being diplomatic when he stated on TVC news that Fubara will be officially received into the party after Ramadan. He said the statement was a subtle way to divert attention.

According to the source, no decision has been made over Fubara’s reelection even though president Tinubu has made separate assurances to former governor Nyesom Wike and governor Fubara. He stated that the president’s assurances to Wike and Fubara serve as the bases of their loyalty to the president.

He suggested that president Tinubu may have assured Fubara of the APC governorship ticket for Rivers state while Nyesom Wike is given vague guarantee.

The Ramadan is over, did you hear anything about Fubara’s reception to the APC? When the national chairman said he will be officially received after Ramadan, he was being diplomatic, nothing like that will happen. For now, the APC is focused on the national convention and you know, APC did not hold elective congress in Rivers state. Rivers state was strategically left out, the Okocha led executive still running”.

About Fubara’s future, I understand that the president has made assurances to the parties (Wike and Fubara) in private. This is why they are still with him. Maybe Fubara has been promised the APC ticket and Wike given certain guarantees by the president”.

The source added that whereas Fubara appears politically orphaned now, he might still end up as the APC consensus governorship candidate. He cited the alacrity with which Wike is working to reposition the PDP through the forthcoming March 30th National Convention in Abuja as a sign that he might sponsor a governorship candidate against Fubara in Rivers state. He insinuated that it could be the guarantee the president gave former governor Wike that his candidate in another party will contest against Fubara without federal backing for Fubara.

I suspect that the president told Wike that his governorship candidate in another party will contest against Fubara in a level playing ground. This means that Fubara will be given the APC ticket while Wike will sponsor his candidates in another party–and it is becoming clear that the party is PDP”