The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was not disqualified from its governorship primary but voluntarily withdrew after successfully passing the party’s screening process.
APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, made the clarification on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, insisting that Fubara willingly stepped down ahead of the party’s primary election.
According to Yilwatda, the Rivers governor purchased the APC nomination forms, appeared before the screening committee and was cleared to contest before deciding to withdraw from the race.
“He pulled out; he stepped down. It is personal to him.
“He bought the forms, came for screening, passed the screening, and we were waiting for the primaries before he opted to step down,” he said.
The APC chairman also dismissed insinuations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, influenced the process or forced Fubara out of the contest.
Asked whether Wike played any role in the Rivers APC primary, Yilwatda maintained that the former Rivers governor was not a member of the ruling party.
“Wike is not in our party. He is in PDP,” he stated.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara had earlier announced his withdrawal from the APC governorship primary, saying the decision was taken in the interest of peace, stability and unity in Rivers State ahead of next year’s election.
“Let it be clearly understood that I stepped aside from participating in the upcoming Rivers State governorship election not out of weakness, fear, or surrender, but out of conviction and sacrifice so that Rivers State may move forward in peace and unity, and I remain committed to serving the good people of Rivers State till the end of my term,” Fubara said.
Meanwhile, Wike on Monday broke his silence on the political crisis in Rivers State, mocking Fubara’s withdrawal from the APC governorship race while backing the emergence of House of Representatives member, Kingsley Chinda, as the party’s candidate.
Speaking during an inspection of infrastructure projects in Abuja, Wike alleged that a political agreement brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was behind the development, claiming Fubara agreed to drop his second-term ambition in exchange for the suspension of impeachment threats from the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“By collecting the form first, he didn’t show signs of gentlemanship. He didn’t show that sign, and that was not expected. We thought that Mr President had been intervening severally and pleading with the legislature not to continue with impeachment,” Wike said.
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