Mass Disqualification Throws Fresh Heat Into Rivers APC Power Equation
A major internal battle may be unfolding inside the Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress after the party disqualified 56 aspirants from participating in its forthcoming House of Assembly primary election, with several figures linked to Governor Siminalayi Fubara among those affected.
The Rivers APC disqualification crisis erupted following the party’s clearance exercise conducted between May 9 and May 10, where only 33 aspirants were approved out of the 98 individuals reviewed by the Assembly Screening Committee.
The committee, chaired by Muraine Ajibola, stated in its report dated May 10 that the affected aspirants failed to meet the requirements of the internal review process. The document was jointly signed by the committee chairman, Muraine Ajibola, alongside committee secretary Ishake Yamawe and committee member Danjuma Samuel.
🟨 Why The Rivers Assembly Battle Suddenly Matters More
Although the exercise was officially presented as a routine internal process, the concentration of disqualified aspirants linked to major political blocs has immediately elevated the stakes inside Rivers APC.
Among the notable names reportedly affected were Chijoke Ihunwo, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and Sokari Goodboy — all figures associated with Fubara’s political camp. Aspirants linked to former APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole were also reportedly affected by the party’s vetting process.
Inside Rivers political circles, control of Assembly tickets is increasingly viewed as a major source of deeper influence over party structures, delegate networks, and long-term political leverage ahead of future electoral contests.
That has now transformed what could have been an ordinary internal exercise into a fresh flashpoint in Rivers’ widening structure control struggle.
🟥 Who Really Controls Rivers APC Now?
The latest development has intensified conversations about internal power balance within the Rivers APC, especially at a time when political camps are already positioning for future influence inside the party.
While the screening committee maintained that the disqualifications were based strictly on compliance with party requirements, the outcome has already generated speculation among supporters over whether deeper alignment battles may now be shaping the party’s internal direction.
As of press time, neither Governor Fubara’s camp nor the Rivers APC leadership had issued an official response to the outcome of the exercise.
Still, the political impact of the development is already spreading beyond the Assembly primaries themselves.
For many observers, the Rivers APC disqualification crisis may now represent the opening phase of a broader contest over legislative influence, political structure, and operational control inside the party as Rivers APC enters what may become one of its most consequential internal power contests ahead of 2027.
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