APC don screen Rivers State Govnor Siminalayi Fubara, but e go get di ticket to contest?

Na for late afternoon on Sunday Rivers State Govnor Fubara appear bifor di All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship screening panel.

Tori be say di Govnor no spend much time as sources say dem ask am to take a bow and go, wey make e no tay wey e enta di screening hall for di Plateau State Govnor Lodge, e come out, enta im car and drive off and e answer "no comment" to question wey tori pipo ask am about how di screening go.

Di APC so far don screen some Rivers State govnorship aspirants — Fubara and a member of di House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda — ahead of di primary election.

So for now, e look like say Fubara road to get di ticket for a second term as govnor of Rivers State no go dey unchallenged.

But na wen di screening committee submit dia report, na im aspirants go know dia status and weda or not dem go approach di Screening Appeal Committee.

Wit dis, many dey wonder weda di Rivers govnor go get di ticket given di gbege wey still dey between im and im predecessor, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Di FCT Minister bin don describe di govnor as a betrayer as e no allegedly stand by dia previous agreements to settle dia politico disagreements.

Dis, in addition to di sharp-sharp manner wey e take appear bifor di screening committee dey give room for speculation.

Who be OK Chinda, Alabo George Kelly wey also do di screening?

Ogundu Kingsley Chinda wey bin be di minority leader for di House of Representatives na one of di aspirants for di Rivers Govnorship position wey appear bifor di screening committee on Saturday 9 May, 2026.

Many wonder wen e leave di People's Democratic Party, PDP, to join APC seeing say e bin be di House Minority leader as a member of di PDP and now e dey show interest to contest for di govnorship position under di APC.

Chinda don dey represent Obio Akpor Federal Constituency since 2011 till date. Bifor dat, e bin be di Rivers State Commissioner for Environment from 2008 to 2010.

Chinda na close political ally to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike wey be di leader of di "Rainbow coalition" wey combine aspirants and political leaders of both di PDP and di APC.

Alabo Dakorinama George Kelly na di Director-General of Border Communities Development Agency.

E bin be Commissioner of Works for Rivers State under both Wike and Fubara and resign twice from Fubara cabinet during di political crisis, a move wey show im loyalty to Wike.

E bin also contest di PDP govnorship primary for 2022 and finish second after Govnor Fubara.

Di Kalabari Ijaw politician and surveyor dey align with calls for a riverine successor to Govnor Siminalayi Fubara wey also come from di riverine Ijaw side.

Which options Govnor Fubara get if e no get di APC govnorship ticket?

Di APC begin di sale of dia Expression of Interest and Nomination forms on April 28, and di exercise end midnight of May 6.

Screening of serving govnors wey dey seek re-election or contest oda elective positions begin on May 8 and conclude on May 10.

Di party give Monday May 11 for di release of screening reports, while screening appeals dey expected to hold on May 12 and May 13.

Di party bin don earlier adopt both consensus arrangement and direct primaries in line with di Electoral Act 2025.

Primaries suppose hold in phases, starting wit di House of Representatives on May 15, followed by di Senate on May 18, State Houses of Assembly on May 20 wit govnorship on May 21, and presidential primary on May 23.

Appeal committees dey expected to sit after each stage to resolve disputes wey fit arise from dis exercises.

Given di short window as e dey di timetable of activities, which option Govnor Fubara get in case e no get di APC govnorship ticket?

Di Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, don fix di presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while govnorship and state Houses of Assembly elections go hold on February 6, 2027.

INEC also say political parties suppose conduct dia primaries and resolve all related disputes between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

One of di options wey Govnor Fubara fit explore na to join anoda party and contest as dia candidate.

Dis na strategy Govnor Fubara bin don use bifor for 2024 wen e effectively use di Action Peoples Party (APP) to regain control of local govment structures for Rivers State following di power struggle wit im predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Di Fubara-backed APP bin achieve landslide victory and win 22 out of 23 chairmanship seats for di October 2024 local govment elections, and establish a new power base but di supreme court bin nullify am.

Given di short period wey dey available, dis na option e fit consider in case e no get di ticket to return as a sitting Govnor.

A sitting govnor never get return ticket bifor?

A situation wia a sitting govnor no return for second tenure don hapun recently bifor for Lagos State for southwest Nigeria.

Akinwunmi Ambode bin no get di opportunity to run for a second term as Govnor of Lagos State for 2019, as e lose di All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election to Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Im loss come becos e lose di support of di party leadership as e allegedly fall out wit top APC leaders, including former Lagos State Govnor and APC leader Bola Tinubu, wey say e no gree follow di state established political master plan.

E also chop accuse say e no carry party members and stakeholders along in making decisions and say e no empower grassroots politicians and party loyalists among odas.

Tinubu, for 2021, bin confam di decision, come say di Ambode administration bin dey lead Lagos State in di wrong direction and so dem decide say a change dey necessary to bring in Sanwo-Olu to turn am round.

Sanwo-Olu eventually win di party ticket and e go soon complete im second tenure as Govnor of Lagos State.

Dis go be di same wit Rivers Govnor Siminalayi Fubara? Di coming days go show, starting wit di release of di APC govnorship screening exercise results.