Rivers Power Tussle: Wike Not Our Headache, He’s PDP Man — APC Chair Fires Back

 

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that the raging political battle between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is not the concern of the ruling party.

Yilwatda said the crisis does not fall within the APC’s jurisdiction, stressing that Wike remains a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite his closeness to the Federal Government.

He spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

According to him, attempts to link the party to the Wike–Fubara face-off are misplaced.

“The matter between Wike and Fubara is not within my purview as APC national chairman. Wike is in the PDP, while Fubara is in the APC,” he said.

The APC boss explained that the impeachment moves in the Rivers State House of Assembly should be seen strictly as an internal legislative and party issue involving APC lawmakers.

“The impeachment issue is about APC members in the House of Assembly. It is not about Wike. We have internal mechanisms to address such matters,” he said.

He emphasised that party disputes are better handled quietly through established internal structures rather than public confrontation.

“We do not conduct all our discussions in the public. Some issues require maturity and in-house engagement to resolve,” Yilwatda added.

Asked directly whether Wike constitutes a political burden to the APC, the chairman replied: “Never.”

The Rivers crisis deepened in December 2025 after Wike launched open opposition to Fubara’s second-term ambition, accusing the governor of violating a prior political agreement reached before the lifting of emergency rule in the state by President Bola Tinubu.

Pro-Wike lawmakers in the state assembly later accused the governor of unauthorized spending and initiated impeachment proceedings against him and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.

However, the impeachment process was stalled on January 23 after a Rivers High Court ruled that the Court of Appeal must first determine pending appeals filed by the Speaker and other lawmakers before further steps can be taken.