Rivers Governor Fubara Targeted by APC’s No Automatic Ticket Policy
The All Progressives Congress (APC) policy denying automatic tickets to elected office holders may have Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as one of its main targets ahead of future elections.
This view was shared by Prof. Anthony Ikila, Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, who believes the policy carries deeper political calculations beyond party reforms.
Speaking during a television interview on Wednesday, Ikila explained that the APC’s decision could be tied to ongoing power struggles within the party, especially in politically sensitive states like Rivers.
He noted that Governor Fubara’s position makes him particularly exposed. According to him, the governor is currently locked in a political contest with a serving minister who wields significant influence within the ruling party and national politics.
Ikila described the situation as unusually complex, pointing out that the rival figure occupies multiple political roles at once, making internal party decisions more delicate.
He suggested that the APC leadership may be attempting to strike a balance between retaining influential figures and managing internal disagreements, even if that means adopting controversial policies.
According to Ikila, the policy could be a strategic tool to control party loyalty, weaken opposition within, and prevent any single bloc from becoming too powerful.
However, he warned that such an approach could undermine fairness within the party and weaken internal democracy.
He said, “He might be targeted. It’s also targeted at people like you, so that you will not accuse them of that. But I think whichever way, it is bad.”
Ikila added, “It is possible this is targeted at Fubara because Fubara has an opponent, a man who is a Minister, a leader of opposition, a leader of government in power. A very rare essence in the atomic table, as it were, very clear figure who on one side they want to keep, on the other side they struggle to tolerate.”
He further stated, “So it is possible they play different games to assuage this kind of side, the APC and the President and the people in power – a situation where they want to eat their cake and have it. So they’re forced to play this kind of games.”
Nonetheless, Ikila maintained that while the APC may see the policy as a necessary political tool, it risks deepening divisions and creating distrust among party members.
