The re-election bid of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, appeared to suffer a setback on Sunday after he stormed out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening hall in Abuja.
While other serving governors were successfully screened on Saturday, Governor Fubara was conspicuously absent.
He eventually arrived at the Plateau Governor’s Lodge at about 3pm on Sunday for the exercise ahead of the party’s May 21 primary.
However, the Governor stormed out of the screening room after only 20 minutes and his demeanor visibly changed.
Fubara, with anger written across his face, refused to grant interviews to journalists who had waited hours for his arrival.
When accosted by reporters asking how the exercise went, a visibly distressed Fubara simply said, “No comment.”
It was reported that since the screening of aspirants commenced, committee members have traditionally escorted governors seeking re-election or senatorial tickets out of the venue as a mark of respect.
However, it was a different story for Fubara; the committee members did not escort him out. They reportedly left the room six minutes after his departure.
Sunday’s screening session was presided over by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Dalori.
It would be recalled that Fubara has been embroiled in a running battle with his estranged political godfather, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Allegations have surfaced that Wike has resolved to replace Fubara with the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda.
Speculation further suggests that one of Wike’s sons is being positioned to take over Chinda’s current seat representing the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency.
Hon. Chinda was reportedly the first aspirant to be screened on Saturday for the APC governorship ticket.
His appearance before the panel appears to confirm rumors that he has “quietly” defected to the ruling party, though he has yet to issue an official statement.
Speaking with journalists after the session, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, noted that the process was still ongoing. When asked specifically if Fubara had been successfully screened, he said:
“I don’t know what you mean by ‘screened.’ Anyone who appears before the committee does so as a necessary part of the process. Once the committee has seen everyone, they will sit down and produce a report. As of now, there is no report from the screening committee.”
On Saturday, the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, explained Fubara’s initial absence, citing official government activities.
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He cautioned against singling out the Rivers Governor, noting that the governors of Kwara and Ebonyi were also absent due to state exigencies.
“Why single one person out? Three governors have not appeared yet, and they all have their reasons. They are chief executives with urgent issues to attend to,” Yilwatda explained. He assured that the party remains flexible regarding the schedules of state executives, adding, “Anytime they are free, they can call the committee and we will screen them at their convenience,” the national chairman had said.