Rivers 2027: Tinubu, Wike Reject Fubara’s Re-Election Bid, Backs Kingsley Chinda

In a seismic shift that could reshape the political landscape of Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike have reportedly closed the door on Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s second-term ambition, endorsing Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda as the preferred candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in 2027.

Sources report that Fubara’s re-election bid on the APC platform has effectively collapsed after failing to secure the backing of the President and his estranged political godfather.

Multiple party sources describe the move as the culmination of a prolonged supremacy battle that has polarized the state since late 2023.

The Wike-Fubara feud, once a mentor-protégé relationship, erupted publicly in 2023 shortly after Fubara’s inauguration as governor.

What began as disagreements over control of the state’s political structure, appointments, and assembly leadership escalated into a full-blown crisis involving defections, legal battles, a state of emergency in 2025, and repeated presidential interventions.

President Tinubu brokered several peace deals, urging respect for Wike as the undisputed political leader in the state and instructing Fubara to align accordingly.

However, sources close to the presidency say Fubara’s camp was seen as reneging on key aspects of these agreements.

Wike has repeatedly accused his successor of betrayal, famously declaring that the “mistake of 2023”installing Fubara would not be repeated in 2027.

Fubara defected to the APC along with some loyalists, positioning himself as the party’s leader in the state. Yet, despite endorsements from some APC governors and women’s groups, the federal structure appears to have tilted decisively toward Wike’s influence.

Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, born March 24, 1966, in Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, emerges as the central figure in this realignment.

A lawyer by training, Chinda served as Commissioner for Environment in Rivers State (2007–2010) before entering the National Assembly in 2011 as representative for Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency. He rose to become Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.

Until recently a PDP stalwart and Wike loyalist, Chinda was screened and cleared by the APC governorship screening panel in early May 2026.

His swift move into the APC and immediate positioning as a top contender signal a strategic cross-party maneuver orchestrated with Wike’s backing.

Party insiders say Wike has nominated Chinda as his preferred choice, with President Tinubu directing APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda to grant Wike control over the party’s structure and nominees in Rivers State. Other aspirants, including Dax George-Kelly and Tonye Cole, are in the mix, but Chinda is widely seen as the frontrunner.

Recent APC screening exercises for National and State Assembly positions have intensified the drama. Several Fubara-aligned aspirants, including Reps Hon. Anderson Allison, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and Hon. Boma Goodhead, were disqualified, while Wike loyalists largely scaled through. Critics decry this as evidence of one man’s dominance over the party machinery, despite Wike not being an APC member.

Fubara’s camp has raised eligibility concerns regarding Chinda’s recent defection and other procedural issues, but the momentum favors the Wike-aligned bloc. Governorship primaries are scheduled for May 21, 2026, following assembly contests.

Rivers State, a critical swing state with its vast oil resources and strategic importance, remains a prize in national politics. Control here could significantly bolster Tinubu’s re-election prospects in the South-South.

Wike’s continued influence, despite operating from the PDP/FCT base, underscores the pragmatic, interest-driven nature of Nigerian alliances.

For Fubara, the writing on the wall suggests a difficult path ahead. Loyalists have procured forms and mobilized support, but without the party ticket or federal backing, his options appear limited. Some observers speculate further realignments or legal challenges.

Chinda, hailing from the same Obio/Akpor area as Wike, represents continuity of Ikwerre influence in a state with complex ethnic power rotation dynamics.