Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has withdrawn from Thursday’s APC governorship primaries, pledging full support for the eventual party candidate.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara will not be on the ballot on Thursday. In a surprise move Wednesday night, Fubara announced his withdrawal from the APC governorship primaries—and promised to stand firmly behind whoever the party chooses to fly its flag.
The announcement came in a personally signed statement titled “My Decision to Withdraw from the Rivers State Gubernatorial Primaries.” It was brief, deliberate, and left many questions unanswered.
Fubara did not detail what drove his exit. Still, the timing speaks volumes. With the primaries just hours away, a last-minute withdrawal of this magnitude rarely happens without significant political pressure — or a carefully calculated trade-off behind closed doors.
“I have decided to step down from the governorship primaries,” Fubara said in the statement. “I will fully support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate.”
For a sitting governor to voluntarily step aside from his own re-election bid is unusual by any measure. In Nigerian politics, it is almost unheard of.
The Bigger Picture
Fubara’s relationship with the APC has been turbulent. Since defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party earlier this year, he has navigated a complex web of alliances, tensions, and power struggles within the Rivers political landscape.
His decision to withdraw could signal a negotiated settlement with powerful party stakeholders. Alternatively, it may reflect deeper fractures within the Rivers APC structure — fractures that a contested primary might have exposed too publicly.
Either way, the move positions him as a party loyalist rather than a divisive figure. That image could prove useful, regardless of what comes next.
What It Means for Thursday’s Primaries
With Fubara out, the field is now clearer. The APC governorship primary in Rivers State will proceed Thursday without the sitting governor as a contender.
Attention now shifts to who will emerge from that process. Fubara’s endorsement, whether formal or implicit, could carry significant weight on the ground. Candidates will undoubtedly be watching to see where his support lands.
Fubara has not indicated whether he will seek any other political role or office. For now, he remains governor — with influence, a loyal base, and an open pledge to support his party’s flag bearer.
That combination makes him a kingmaker, even without a ballot in his name.
In Rivers State politics, power rarely disappears. It simply changes shape.
