The Rivers APC leadership has ordered members to remain in their local government areas for the Apc Rivers Reps Primaries beginning May 16, 2026, and warned them to stay away from the Port Harcourt secretariat unless they have been authorised. Chibike Ikenga said those who ignore the directive could face disciplinary action.
The instruction lands as the party moves into a tightly managed primary season after clearing 33 of 98 aspirants and disqualifying others over document discrepancies or unpaid dues. The disqualified aspirants had only recently finished their appeals before a screening panel led by Dr. Abdul Mahmud, underscoring how much of the contest has already been shaped before the first vote is cast.
For members, the message was plain: the party wants the primaries handled locally and the headquarters kept off limits unless invited. That matters now because the first ballots are due tomorrow, and any confusion around access, authority or loyalty could quickly spill into a process already marked by exclusions and appeals.
The political backdrop sharpened further on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, when Siminalayi Fubara said he remains a member of the Progressive Congress and rejected claims linking him to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. “I’m a member of the Progressive Congress and nothing has changed,” he said, adding, “I have not gone anywhere, I’m still a member of the Progressive Congress and I remain a member.”
Fubara’s remarks carried extra weight because he was absent from the APC screening exercise for incumbent governors last Saturday, when Francis Nwifuru and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq were also not present. Nentawe Yilwatda said the governors missed the screening because of official engagements in their respective states, but the absence fed rumours about Fubara’s political position and his alleged links to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
That is the friction inside the party’s rush toward the 2027 elections: public declarations of unity on one side, and a screening-and-primary process that has already disqualified aspirants, stirred appeals and raised questions about who is fully inside the fold. Fubara tried to close that gap himself when he said, “Whatever happens, what is most important is supporting the overall interests of the party.”
For the Rivers APC, the next test comes immediately. The primaries start tomorrow, and the party is trying to project discipline before the first contest is held.
