APC NWC Members Clash Over Fubara, Wike Political Loyalty Tussle

Internal tensions have surfaced within the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress following a sharp public disagreement between two senior party officials over comments directed at Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has openly faulted statements credited to the APC’s South-South National Vice Chairman, Victor Giadom, who recently referred to Fubara as a “so-called governor” during a political engagement in Rivers State.

Basiru, reacting via his verified social media platform on Sunday, described the language as inappropriate and unbecoming of an official occupying such a high-ranking position within the party’s national leadership. He stressed that regardless of political affiliations or internal disagreements, the office of an elected governor deserves respect.

According to Basiru, it was unacceptable for a member of the APC’s National Working Committee to use disparaging language against a sitting governor, noting that political loyalty or personal allegiance should not override decorum or institutional respect. He added that even governors outside the APC should be accorded due regard based on the constitutional significance of their offices.

The exchange follows comments made by Giadom during a thank-you visit by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to Gokana Local Government Area. At the event, Giadom asserted that Governor Fubara would be unable to secure political success in the area without the backing of Wike, whom he described as the dominant political force in Gokana.

Giadom further claimed that the local government area was firmly aligned with Wike and President Bola Tinubu, declaring it effectively closed to political influence from any other quarters, including the sitting governor. His remarks were echoed by several local APC figures, including the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the chairman of the Gokana Local Government Council, both of whom publicly pledged loyalty to Wike.

Basiru, however, cautioned that political rivalry should not descend into rhetoric that undermines democratic institutions, emphasising that respect for elected offices remains fundamental, regardless of ongoing political disputes.

Responding at the same event, Wike expressed appreciation to the people of Gokana for their support and called for unity, reiterating that political actors across party lines in Rivers State were cooperating in support of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.