PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has announced his official withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election.
Okay News reports that the governor made his decision public on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, through a personally signed statement. His exit comes just over a week after he reportedly walked out of an APC screening exercise in Abuja, dropping a bombshell on the party’s internal race in Rivers State.
“After deep reflection and extensive consultations with my family, friends, and associates, I have taken the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from the APC governorship primaries,” Fubara said. He added that he will fully support whoever eventually emerges as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 gubernatorial election, aiming to maintain party unity despite the state’s highly volatile political landscape.
Fubara’s withdrawal adds a dramatic new chapter to the ongoing power struggles within the Rivers State APC. The political space remains highly tense following the governor’s high-profile defection from the PDP late last year and his long-standing political battle with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. With fellow aspirant Tonye Cole also reportedly stepping down from the primary contest, Fubara’s withdrawal completely clears the field and resets the structural alignments ahead of the upcoming party voting.
