By Suleiman Anyalewechi
A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Rivers State Chief Chukwuemeka Eze has rejected claims suggesting that the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister Nyesom Wike, is the leader of the party in the State.
Chief Eze, a former factional chairman of APC in the State, described as totally “misleading and inconsequential” the statement credited to former Senator that represented Rivers South East at the National Assembly , Magnus Abe to the effect that Wike is the leader of the APC in Rivers State.
The Source reports that Senator Abe, who was recently nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Chairman of the Board of Nigeria mainstream and downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency NMDPRA, had, last week during the APC primaries to select candidates for the bye-election to fill the vacant positions in Khana 2 and Ahoada East state Constituencies, insisted that the FCT Minister is the leader of the Renewed Hope Agenda Family in Rivers state .
According to him, Wike’s leadership position in the APC and in Rivers state in general has never been in contention.
His comments came on the heels of the recognition of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the leader of the APC in Rivers state by the Presidency and the National leadership of the party.
Speaking separately, the National Secretary of the APC Ajibola Bashir , and Presidential spokesperson Inuwa Bwala had not only maintained that Governor Fubara, going by existing protocols, remains the leader of APC in Rivers State, but also insisted that Wike is not a member of the party.
And, in a statement issued on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Chief Eze, also, emphasized that Senator Abe and the FCT Minister are not members of the APC, and as such cannot be dragging leadership position with the Governor who is already a registered party loyalist.
According to him, all available leadership positions within a given political association are reserved for only recognized members of the party.
He described as completely baseless and untenable for the duo of Wike and Senator Abe to engage in needless debate over the leadership position in a a party of which they are non-members.
“Abe left the APC in the build up to the 2023 general elections to contest the Governorship seat of Rivers State on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, where he could not secure for himself at his own polling unit 10, ward 16 ,Bera Town , Gokana LGA. And the FCT Minister, in the same vein, has remained party-less since his deserving expulsion from his former party the Peoples Democratic party PDP.
“Before this time, and during the 2023 election, the FCT Minister, who was Governor at the time, could not secure victory for his preferred presidential candidate right at his own polling unit where the Labour Party swept the poll.
“Flowing from the afore-disected ,one wonders the essence of the needless hassle over party leadership.
“As a matter of fact, the leadership of a party remains the exclusive preserve of that political association and only members can serve in the various capacities available in the party.
” By his thoughtless utterances and other idiotic indulgences with Wike, Magnus Abe has continued to be an embarrassment not only to himself, but to all those who once held him in high esteem.
” I feel very much ashamed that Magnus once a highly respected political leader from Niger Delta, suddenly no longer knows the hierarchy of a political party.
“By his declaration of Wike as Rivers state APC leader even as a non member of the party, Senator Magnus Abe has again, exposed himself to ridicule as this is an act of insubordination and affront to President Tinubu and the APC leadership.
“The APC leadership and President Tinubu have clearly declared Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the APC leader and that is it. Unless he is, like his master, Wike, also challenging the authority of President Tinubu.” Chief Eze stated.
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