Wike Endorses Alabo George To Challenge Fubara In APC

By Adesina Soyooye

Rivers State kingmaker, power broker, and unarguably, the most influential politician in the South-south, and as not a few people have argued, second only to President Bola Tinubu nationally,  Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has found a replacement for his estranged political godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara in 2027.

Reports from Porthacourt, Rivers State, indicate that Wike, who is the leader of both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, his Party, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Party under which he is serving at the Federal level, has endorsed a former Commissioner for Works in the State, Alabo Dakorinama George Kelly, as his preferred candidate for the Rivers State governorship.

He is expected to run under the APC, a direct challenge to Fubara who is yet to indicate whether he is seeking a reelection or not even though some stakeholders, a couple of days ago, purchased both the expression of interest and nomination forms  for him to contest under his party, the APC.

It is to be noted, however, that the national body of the APC, has not publicly welcomed Fubara into the APC since his defection from the PDP to the APC, a courtesy extended to his other colleagues, even those who defected after him.

With Wike’s endorsement of Kelly as the preferred APC Candidate, it is to be taken for granted that Fubara has been denied a second term under the APC as Wike has said that all candidates in the State, who he will support, are to run under the Rainbow Coalition  – a coalition with members from both the APC and PDP.

Kelly was picked by Wike  after an alleged closed-door meeting in Port Harcourt with key  stakeholders on Monday.

He had  served as Commissioner for Works. He is also identified as a loyalist within Wike’s political structure.

Instructively, another very staunch Wike loyalist, Honourable Kingsley Chinda, Member, House of Representatives, also, a couple of days ago, picked the Governorship forms to run under the PDP.

Insiders say there is no way Chinda would pick the Governorship form without Wike’s endorsement.

Political watchers are of the opinion that by encouraging two of his loyalists to pick the Governorship forms of the PDP and APC, Wike has made sure that there will be no space for Fubara in 2027.