President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the recognised leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, stressing that former governor Nyesom Wike is not a member of the ruling party.
Bwala made the assertion on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, amid heightened political tension in Rivers State following impeachment moves against Governor Fubara by the State House of Assembly.
According to Bwala, the position of the APC national leadership is unambiguous. He said the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has affirmed Fubara’s status as the APC leader in the state.
“In Rivers State, Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC. Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore cannot speak for the party,” Bwala said. “He may be influential within the PDP in Rivers, but in the APC, the leader is Governor Fubara.”
Bwala added that President Tinubu supports due process, internal party democracy and adherence to the rule of law, noting that the APC leadership has aligned firmly with Fubara on the Rivers situation.
On the impeachment proceedings, Bwala said the party expects the governor to be allowed to perform his constitutional duties without obstruction, citing court orders that reportedly halted the impeachment process.
“There are court orders stopping the impeachment. The party is clear that no one should prevent the governor from governing,” he said.
He also clarified that Wike’s appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory does not grant him authority within the APC, describing his ministerial role as service to the Federal Government rather than to the ruling party.
“The President rewards service, but not at the expense of what is right or lawful,” Bwala stated, urging all stakeholders to respect constitutional and legal processes.
Governor Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC in December 2025 and has since been endorsed by party leaders for a second term in the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly recently initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, citing allegations of gross misconduct, including claims of financial impropriety and constitutional violations.
