Primaries: Fubara Withdraws as APC Govs Emerge Sole Aspirants

Political tension heightened across the country on Wednesday as the All Progressives Congress prepared for governorship primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, with several governors emerging as consensus candidates while internal battles intensified in key states.

The biggest development came from Rivers State, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara officially withdrew from the APC governorship primary race, citing the need to preserve peace, unity, and stability in the state.

In a statement titled “My Decision to Withdraw from the Rivers State Gubernatorial Primaries,” Fubara said the decision followed extensive consultations with family, political associates, and supporters. He described the move as painful but necessary for the greater interest of Rivers State.

According to the governor, leadership sometimes requires sacrifice, stressing that the state’s peace must come before personal ambition. He also thanked his supporters for their loyalty and unwavering support throughout the political struggle.

Fubara maintained that his withdrawal should not be seen as weakness or surrender, insisting that he remains committed to serving Rivers people and supporting the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Rivers political crisis has remained one of the most intense in the country since the fallout between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who played a major role in his emergence as governor in 2023.

The prolonged power struggle between both camps led to impeachment attempts, deep divisions within the state assembly, and eventually the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State in 2025 before President Bola Tinubu intervened.

Before Fubara’s withdrawal, former governorship candidate Tonye Cole and former Commissioner for Works Dakorinama George-Kelly had also stepped down from the race, leaving House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda as the sole aspirant.

Meanwhile, APC governors in several states, including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Delta, Ebonyi, and Sokoto, emerged as consensus candidates, while fierce contests are expected in Kwara and Lagos states where party negotiations remain unresolved.